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BY 


THOMAS     H-    <iTA©V. 


COURT   OF   CHURCH    OF   THE    HOLY    SEPULCHER. 
"Washing  Feet  of  the  Greeks." 


IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT 

AROUND  THE  WORLD 


A    MISSIONARY   TOUR 


BY 

REV.  THOMAS  H.  STACY 


ILLUSTRATED 


FLEMING    H.   REVELL   COMPANY 

CHICAGO  NEW  YORK  TORONTO 

Publishers  of  Evangelical  Literature 


COPYRIGHTED  1895,  BY  THOMAS  H.  SI AW 


To  THAT  PEOPLE,  EVERYWHERE, 

WHO  HOLD  THE  GREAT  COMMISSION  OP  JESUS, 

"Go  YE  INTO  ALL  THE  WORLD,  AND  PREACH  THE  GOSPEL  TO 

EVERY  CREATURE," 

THIS  BOOK  is  RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED  BY 
THE  AUTHOR. 


To  publish  in  a  book  an  account  of  my  missionary  tour  was  not  my 
intention  originally  ;  hence  the  lapse  of  time  between  the  tour  and  this 
publication.  I  kept  an  extensive  day-book  for  my  own  benefit,  and  con- 
tributed to  different  periodicals  for  the  benefit  of  others ;  but  at  the 
solicitation  of  warm  friends  of  missions,  I  have  consented  to  gather  my 
observations  into  "The  Path  of  Light,"  hoping  that  they  will  accomplish 
all  the  good  expected  from  them. 

While  many  are  going  over  the  same  ground,  both  personally  and  in 
literature,  one  great  value  of  their  observations  is  in  the  fact  that  each  one 
states  things  as  he  sees  them.  Different  persons  see  things  differently;  each 
comes  in  contact  with  facts  which  others  do  not  see.  I  simply  deal  with 
facts  as  they  appeared  to  me,  and  draw  my  conclusions  therefrom. 

The  chief  value  which  I  claim  for  this  work  is  this  :  it  deals  with  mis- 
sions in  Bengal  and  Orissa  which  were  established  nearly  three  quarters  of 
a  century  ago,  and  whose  work  has  not  been  presented  to  the  world  in 
this  form  before.  I  spent  more  time  in  these  missions  than  in  any  other, 
and  devote  about  one  quarter  of  this  book  to  an  account  of  what  I  saw 
there. 

The  illustrations  were  nearly  all  gathered  by  the  way ;  many  of  them 
photographed  or  sketched  by  my  own  hand  ;  so  that  I  can  vouch  for  their 

accuracy. 

[1] 


2  PREFA  CE. 

The  title  "In  the  Path  of  Light  Around  the  World,"  is  given  because 
I  take  the  reader  back  with  me  to  the  starting  point ;  because  I  traveled, 
for  the  most  part,  in  a  path  lighted  by  the  preceding  gospel  ;  and  because  I 
held  it  as  a  sacred  privilege  when  in  the  shadows  of  sin  to  manifest  "the 
true  Light,  which  lighteth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world." 

For  the  good  that  it  may  do,  in  the  love  of  Christ,  I  send  it  forth,  on 
the  wings  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 


CHAPTER  I. 


CONCEPTION  AND  PREPARATION 

Plans  —  Resolutions. 


CHAPTER  II. 


ACROSS  THE  CONTINENT 


16 


Th'e  start  —  New  York  Conventions — The  Hudson  —  Albany — Lord's  Day  in 
Chicago  —  Scenes  by  the  way  —  The  Rockies  —  Deserts  —  The  Sierras  —  San 
Francisco. 

CHAPTER  III. 
FROM  AMERICA  TO  JAPAN  .  .......      24 

Through  the  Golden  Gate — Our  companions  —  Our  occupation  —  The  heathen 
away  from  home —  Storm  on  the  deep  —  First  glimpse  of  Japan. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
NIPPON  .  .  ...          .          .          .    .      . 

Yokohama  —  Custom  house- — The  jinrikisha  —  Missionaries  —  Lord's  Day  — 
Among  the  people  —  Kamakura — Hachiman — Daibutsu  —  Tokyo  —  Asakusa  — 
Shiba  —  Chrysanthemums  —  Kobe  —  Inland  Sea  —  Shimonoseki  —  Nagasaki. 

[3] 


28 


4  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  V. 

A  TRACTABLE  PEOPLE  WHOSE  AIMS  ARE  TOO  Low     .         .         .          -45 
Some   conclusions — Dwellings  —  Customs  and  morals — Politics  —  How  the  Peo- 
ple are  to  be  transformed. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  LAND  OF  CONFUCIUS  ...         .         .         .         .         .         .  51 

Approaching  the  "Flowery  Land" — Shanghai — Finding  our  way  —  Inside  and 
outside  the  walls  —  Chinese  jugglery  —  Lord's  Day  —  A  Chinese  cotton  mill  — 
Opium  dens  —  A  Missionary  center  —  China  Inland  Mission. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

OFF  FOR  HONG-KONG  AND    CANTON  - .    „  .  .  .  .66 

Hong-Kong — A  great  shipping  Port  —  Canton  —  With  the  missionaries  —Temple 
of  hell  —  House-boats  —  Hustling  —  Piracy  —  Sentiments  of  the  press. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

WHAT  OF  THE  CELESTIALS?     ,   .         .         .         .         .         .         .         -75 

Peculiarities  of  the  Chinese  —  Missionaries  for  China —  How  shall  the  converted  be 
utilized  ?  —  A  hard  field,  but  not  too  hard  for  God. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

UNDER  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS     .         .         ...         .         .          -79 

Neanng  the  equator — Singapore  —  A  motley  population  —  Beauties  of  the  trop- 
ics —  Rest  —  Different  religions  —  Mission  interests. 

CHAPTER  X. 
OFF  FOR  CALCUTTA     .         ...         .         .         .         .         .         .         .86 

Journeying  to  Calcutta — Penang-Missionary  companions  —  Christmas  on  the  sea  — 
The  winding  Hooghly. 

CHAPTER  XI 

CALCUTTA  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         -91 

Lai  Bazaar  —  Kali-Ghat  —  Dr.  Penticost's  meetings  —  Bishop  Thoburn's  work 
—  The  garden — Ships  from  America  —  Off  for  Free  Baptist  Mission  Field. 


CONTENTS.  5 

CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD     .......     97 

Pilgrims  and  "  Globe  trotters  "  —  How  Free  Baptists  came  to  work  in  India  —  In  the 
shoals  —  Chandbali  —  Brown  and  Ram  Jena  —  New  Year's  exhibition  —  A  native 
dinner  —  Bhudruck  —  Hard  traveling  —  Dak  bungaloes  —  Balasore's  grand  re- 
ception—  Sacred  places  —  Jellasore — Memories  of  the  dead  —  On  to  Santipore 
through  difficulties —  Dantoon  and  Narayanghur — Jungle  work  with  Dr.  Bacheler 
and  Miner  —  Was  it  a  cobra  ?  —  Bhimpore  —  Midnapore  and  the  yearly  meeting  — 
Marriages  and  a  funeral  —  A  Holy  Ghost  baptism  —  Mr.  Boyer —  A  zenana  —  The 
Bible  School  —  Arrival  of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Hallam  —  Chandra  Nila  —  Beggars  — 
Leaving  Bengal  and  Orissa  —  Across  the  country,  Darjiling,  Benares,  Cawnpore, 
Lucknow,  Delhi,  Agra,  and  the  Taj  — Bombay,  and  Towers  of  Silence  —  "Good-by 
for  the  present." 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
SOME  CONCLUSIONS.  .........    137 

Evangelizing  centers  —  Results — Baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  —  Higher  standard  at 
home  —  Foreigners  among  us  —  Superintendents  —  Christianizing-Native  agencies 
—  Persecution  —  Caste  — Christ's  injunction. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

EGYPT  AND  THE  WAY  FROM  INDIA         .          .         .         .         .         .         .144 

From  India  to  Egypt  —  Second-class  on  a  P.  and  O. — Missionary  companions  — 
Aden  —  Red  Sea — Suez  and  the  Canal — Crossing  of  the  Israelites  —  Ismailia  — 
Donkey  drivers,  and  donkeys  —  Land  of  Goshen  —  Native  scenes  — Cairo,  streets 
and  bazaars  —  Mohammedan  University  —  Mosque  of  Mohammed  AH  —  Isle  of 
Roda — Pyramids  and  the  Sphinx — The  Nile  —  Boulak  Museum  and  mummies  — 
Mission  work  in  Egypt  —  Alexandria,  past  and  present  —  Cleopatra's  tomb,  and  St. 
Mark's  church —  Port  Said  —  On  the  blue  Mediterranean. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

PALESTINE          .         .  .       -.         .         ,         ;       .'.         .         .170 

Setting  out  for  Palestine  —  Squalls  and  heavy  seas  —  Wreck  of  the  "  Tchihatchoff  " 

—  Jaffa  "so  near  and  yet  so  far"  — The  rescue  and  rescuer —  Recognition  of  the 
brave — House   of    Simon,    the    tanner — Miss    Walker-Arnott's    Mission — Jaffa 
and  surroundings — On  to  Jerusalem — Calvary  and  the  "New  Tomb" — Olivet 

—  Inside  the  walls  —  Bethany  —  Temple  court  —  Mosques  of  Omar  and  El-Aksa  — 


6  CONTENTS. 

Jews'  wailing  place  —  Tomb  of  David  —  Subterranean  quarries  —  Church  of  the 
Holy  Sepulcher  —  Bethlehem  and  Church  of  the  Nativity  —  Solomon's  Pools  and 
Hebron  —  Cave  of  Machpelah  and  Abraham's  Oak  —  The  Jordan  Valley  —  River 
Jordan  —  Dead  Sea  —  Jericho  —  Elisha's  Fountain  —  From  Jerusalem  to  Samaria 
Bethel,  Shiloh,  Ai,  Jacob's  Well  —  Nabulus  —  Night  in  a  native  guest-chamber  — 
Leaving  the  Holy  Land. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

HOMEWARD  THROUGH  ITALY,  FRANCE,  AND  ENGLAND          .          .          .221 

Port  Said  to  Italy  —  Brindisi  —  Naples;  its  surroundings,  museums,  and  galleries  — 
Virgil's  tomb — Vesuvius  —  Rome;  St.  Peter's,  Vatican  galleries — St.  John  Lateran 

—  Scala  Santa  —  Scenes  about  the  city  —  Paris;  its  streets,  buildings  and  galleries 

—  England;  London,  some  of  its  churches  and  preachers  —  Shakespeare's  birth- 
place —  Warwick  —  Kenilworth  —  Chester  —  Liverpool  —  Home  again. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

FINALLY     .  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .    234 

Some  conclusions  —  The  situation  at  home  and  abroad  —  Three  ways  of  preach- 
ing to  the  heathen  —  different  conceptions  of  God's  plan — The  efficiency  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  missions  —  The  Spirit  and  the  Bride. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE. 

COURT  OF  CHURCH  OF  THE  HOLY  SEPULCHER;  "WASHING  FEET  OF  THE 

GREEKS  " Frontispiece 

KlNCHlNjANGA  ;  JUNK  ;  BETHLEHEM  (Author's   Drawing) Title  Page 

DEBDARU  (Author's  Drawing) Dedication 

PASSION  FLOWER Preface 

PALMS  AND  MAGNOLIA  (Author's  Drawing) Contents 

ILLUSTRATIONS 7 

INITIAL  TO  CHAPTER  I  (Author's  Drawing) 13 

IL  SALVATORE 14 

MADONNA 15 

CORNER  IN  WAGNER  CAR  (Author's  Drawing) 16 

TRANS-CONTINENTAL  SCENES     "  "       18 

GRAND  CANON,  COLO 19 

A  SAN  FRANCISCO  PALACE  (Author's  Photograph) 22 

ON  THE  WAY  (Author's  Drawing) 24 

FUJIYAMA  "  "        28 

YOKOHAMA 29 

CLUB  HOTEL 30 

CANAL  IN  YOKOHAMA  (Author's  Photograph) 31 

WRITING  A  LETTER 33 

THE  JINRIKISHA 33 

[7] 


8  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

TEMPLE  OF  HACHIMAN 34 

DAIBUTSU  (Author's  Photograph) 35 

NIKKO  TEMPLE 37 

SHRINE  AT  HOMMOKO  (Author's  Photograph)  38 

TORI-I,  AND  SHRINE            "               "            40 

HOMMOKO  (Author's  Drawing) 44 

SHIBA  TEMPLE  (Author's  Drawing) : 45 

BIBLE  WOMEN 47 

THE  MIKADO  (Author's  Drawing) 48 

FUJIYAMA 50 

PAPPENBERG  IN  THE  DISTANCE ...  42 

GRAVE-YARD  (Author's  Drawing) 51 

THE  BUND,  SHANGHAI 53 

DR.  AND  MRS.  FARNHAM  (Author's  Photograph) 54 

SHANGHAI 55 

SOUTH  GATE  : 56 

SCENE  IN  NATIVE  CITY  (Author's  Photograph). 59 

TEA  HOUSE  (Author's  Photograph) 61 

HONG-KONG 66 

SEA  FOWL  (Author's  Drawing) 67 

HOTEL  AT  CANTON 68 

EXECUTION  GROUNDS,  CANTON 69 

WATCH-TOWER,  CANTON  (Author's  Drawing) 75 

EMPEROR  OF  CHINA  (Author's  Drawing) 76 

THE  WHEEL-BARROW      "               "      79 

SINGAPORE  GHARRY 81 

SACRED  Ox 85 

CHOTA-HAZIRI  (Author's  Drawing) 86 

GOVERNMENT  HOUSE,  CALCUTTA  (Author's  Drawing) 91 

CALCUTTA 92 

BURNING  GHAT ' 93 

PALM  AVENUE,  BOTANICAL  GARDENS  (Author's  Photograph) 94 

GREAT  BANYAN  TREE  (Author's  Photograph) . . . '. 95 

DAK  BUNGALOW  (Author's  Drawing)   97 

MAP  OF  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD 99 


ILL  US  TRA  TIONS.  9 

MISSION  HOUSE,  CHANDBALI  (Author's  Photograph) 100 

RAM  JENA,  AND  FAMILY  (Author's  Photograph) 101 

REV.  AND  MRS.  COLDREN  (Rev.  Z.  F.  Griffin's  Photograph) 102 

FUEL  CARRIERS  (Griffin's  Photograph) 103 

MISSION  CHURCH,  BALASORE  (Author's  Drawing) 104 

MISSION  HOUSE,  BALASORE  (Griffin's  Photograph) 105 

BOYS'  HIGH  SCHOOL  BUILDING     "              "          106 

MISSION  HOUSE  (Author's  Photograph) 107 

SINCLAIR  ORPHANAGE  (Author's  Photograph) 108 

THE  ORPHANS  (Author's  Photograph) 109 

PRESENTATION  GROUP  (Griffin's  Photograph) in 

TEMPLE  AND  TANK  (Author's  Photograph) 112 

MISSION  HOUSE,  JELLASORE  (Griffin's  Photograph) 113 

CRAWFORD  MONUMENT  (Author's  Photograph) 115 

HINDU  TEMPLE,  MIDNAPORE  (Author's  Drawing) 121 

NATIVE  PREACHERS  AND  DR.  BACHELER'S  BUNGALOW  (Author's  Photograph) 122 

SACHIDANANDA  RAI  (Griffin's  Photograph) 123 

BIBLE  WOMEN  (Griffin's  Photograph) 124 

REV.  AND  MRS.  HALLAM  (Griffin's  Photograph) 126 

SMITH  MONUMENT  (Griffin's  Photograph) 128 

CONTAI  BAZAAR  (Griffin's  Photograph) 129 

BURNING  GHAT,  BENARES 130 

RESIDENCY,   LUCKNOW '. 131 

MEMORIAL  WELL,  CAWNPORE 133 

TAJ  MAHAL 132 

TOWER  OF  SILENCE,  BOMBAY  134 

REV.  Z.  F.  GRIFFIN  (Author's  Drawing) 136 

MARRIAGE  TREE  (Author's  Drawing) 137 

HARVESTING  (Griffin's  Photograph) 139 

IN  BENGAL  AND  ORISSA  (Griffin's  Photograph) 140 

TEMPLE  CARVINGS 143 

MISSIONARY  GROUP  (Griffin's  Photograph) 141 

SUEZ  AND  PYRAMIDS  (Author's  Drawing) 144 

SUEZ  CANAL 147 

YANKEE  DOODLE  (Author's  Drawing) 150 


10  ILL  US  TRA  T1ONS. 

AFRICAN  WARRIORS 151 

STREET  IN  CAIRO  153 

EGYPTIAN  LADY 154 

MOSQUE  OF  MOHAMMED  ALI  (Author's  Photograph) 155 

THE  NILE 157 

PAVILION,  KHEDIVE'S  GARDEN  (Author's  Photograph) 158 

PYRAMIDS  159 

SPHINX 160 

SETI  I 161 

RAMESES  II 162 

BEDOUIN  OF  THE  DESERT 165 

POMPEY'S  PILLAR 167 

SARCOPHAGUS  OF  CLEOPATRA 166 

EGYPTIAN  SLAVE 168 

JAFFA  (Author's    Drawing) 1 70 

"  TCHIHATCHOFF  "  ON  THE  ROCKS   173 

"TCHIHATCHOFF,"   LATER 176 

SULEIMAN  GIRBY 177 

ARAB  STREET,  JAFFA 180 

HOUSE  OF  "  SIMON  THE  TANNER  " 181 

RAMLEH 183 

NEBY  SAMWIL 185 

JAFFA  GATE 186 

THE  "  NEW  TOMB  " 188 

MOUNT  OF  OLIVES;  GETHSEMANE  IN  THE  FOREGROUND 189 

HOME  OF  LAZARUS 191 

TOMB  OF  LAZARUS ' . . .  192 

STREET  IN  JERUSALEM t< 193 

MOSQUE  OF  OMAR 194 

INTERIOR  OF  MOSQUE  ;  DOME  OF  MORIAH 195 

TOMB  OF  ABSOLOM 196 

JEWS'  WAILING  PLACE 197 

TOMB  OF  DAVID 198 

TOWER  OF  DAVID 198 

THRONE  OF  THE  PATRIARCH,  CHURCH  OF  THE  HOLY  SEPULCHER.  . .  .  200 


ILL  USTRA  TIONS.  11 

WOMAN  OF  BETHLEHEM 202 

CHURCH  OF  THE  NATIVITY 204 

ASSAD  JAMAL : 207 

JERICHO  ;  MOUNT  OF  TEMPTATION 209 

DEAD  SEA 210 

JORDAN,  OPPOSITE  GILGAL 211 

JERUSALEM  FROM  SCOPUS. 213 

DANCING  GIRL 216 

MOUNT  CARMEL 219 

INITIAL  FOR  ITALY  (Author's  Drawing) 221 

NAPLES  AND  VESUVIUS 222 

ST.  PETER'S  ;  THE  TIBER  ;  CASTLE  OF  ST.  ANGELO 223 

ST.  PETER'S,  INTERIOR 224 

ST.  PAUL'S,  ROME 226 

SCALA  SANTA '. 224 

ARCH  OF  TRIUMPH,  PARIS 227 

THE  PANTHEON,  PARIS 229 

WARWICK  CASTLE 230 

KENILWORTH  CASTLE 23 1 

GOD'S  PROVIDENCE-HOUSE,  CHESTER 232 

RACHEL'S  TOMB,  MOSQUE  OVER  CAVE  OF  MACHPELAH  (Author's  Drawing) 234 


CHAPTER 


CONCEPTION  AND  PREPARATION. 

N  early  childhood  a  desire  was  awakened 
within  me,  in  common  with  many  others,  to 
visit  Egypt  and  Palestine,  the  lands  of  all  most 
interesting  because  of  their  association  with 
the  patriarchs,  prophets,  priests,  and  kings  of 
God  ;  and  especially  because  they  were  identi- 
fied with  the  life  and  work  of  Jesus.  When  I 
began  to  think  seriously  of  the  fulfillment  of 
my  desire,  and  to  plan  for  it,  my  mind  was  led  to  India  also,  in  whose  peo- 
ple I  had  become  deeply  interested  through  my  work  for  the  Free  Baptist 
Foreign  Mission  Society,  of  which  I  had  been  corresponding  secretary 
since  1882. 

But  I  could  not  stop  with  India.  Why  should  I  not  examine  the  work 
of  the  different  missions  of  the  world,  look  into  the  condition  and  needs 
of  people  on  different  parts  of  the  globe,  and  thus  be  enabled  to  accomplish 
more  for  that  great  majority  of  the  human  family —  those  with  no  experi- 
mental knowledge  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  I  had  the  conviction  that 
God  would  open  the  way  for  me  to  do  this,  and  I  patiently  prepared  for 
the  time  of  departure. 

It  came  upon  the  second  day  of  October,  1890,  after  two  years  of 
special  prayer  and  preparation.  The  care  of  the  Foreign  Mission  work 
was  placed  in  other  hands  temporarily  ;  the  Court-street  church  of  Auburn, 
Maine,  of  which  I  had  been  pastor  four  years,  generously  granted  me  a 
leave  of  absence  for  six  months,  for  which  time  God  provided  excellent 


14 


IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


hands  for  it  to  fall  into.  Consequently,  upon  this  day,  with  baggage  de- 
voted to  indispensables  only,  and  a  camera  which  was  to  be  my  silent  but 
most  impressible  associate,  I  was  prepared  to  join  my  traveling  compan- 
ion, the  Rev.  F.  W.  Sandford,  of  Great  Falls,  N.  H.,  with  whom  I  had 

planned  and  arranged  this  missionary  tour. 

RESOLUTIONS. 

I  would  advise  every  traveler  in 
foreign  lands  to  drive  down  a  few 
stakes  before  he  starts,  from  the 
stand-point  of  principle.  I  made 
four  resolutions,  and  they  all  stood 
me  well  in  hand. 

First,  I  said  that  I  would  make 
the  best  of  all  that  came  to  me,  and 
not  grumble.  Several  reminders  of 
this  resolution  came  in  the  form  of 
the  ceaseless  rolling  of  the  ship  for 
days  and  nights,  and  then  about  the 
same  length  of  time  used  up  in  her 
attempting  to  spear  sharks  with  her 
bowsprit ;  deceptive  hotel  clerks,  in- 
solent travelers,  omnipresent  clam- 
orers  for  backshish ;  the  plagues  of 
Egypt  which  apparently  came  in 

Moses's  time  to  stay  ;  and  other  things  all  of  the  same  color,  concerning 
which  it  was  always  well  to  remember  that  God  permitted  them  to  come 
for  some  good  purpose. 

Second,  I  resolved  to  get  all  the  good  I  could  from  every  source. 
Some  of  the  sources  were  people  naturally  repulsive,  either  because  of 
physical  or  moral  corruption ;  some  were  in  God's  providences,  which  held 
up  tender  encouragement  or  stern  reproof  ;  every  day  had  something  by 
which  I  could  profit. 

Third,  I  resolved  to  do  all  the  good  I  could.  Countless  and  unex- 
pected were  the  opportunities  to  do  good  pecuniarily,  morally,  and  spirit- 
ually. And  when  the  selfish  thought  came,  "Those  people  are  nothing  to 


FROM  CARLO  DOLCI'S     IL  SALVATORK. 


CONCEPTION  AND   PREPARATION. 


15 


me,''  the  answer  would  come  back,  "  They  are  something  to  you,  and  here 
is  an  opportunity  to  do  good." 

Fourth,  I  resolved  not  to  take  any  intoxicating  spirits,  but  to  be  filled 
with  the  Holy  Spirit.  Friends  had  told  me  that  one  could  not  travel  in 
Oriental  countries,  or  on  the  continent  even,  without  drinking  wine  and 
other  beverages,  because  the  water  is  so  unhealthful.  But  I  have  proved  this 
to  be  false.  I  went  completely  around  the  globe  without  tasting  any  liquor, 
either  distilled  or  brewed,  with  one  exception,  and  that  was  at  the  com- 
munion table.  I  am  sorry  that  it  occurred  there,  but  I  am  confident  that  I 
tasted  fermented  wine  at  one  communion  service.  Water  is  frequently  bad, 
but  limes  or  lemons  can  be  found  in  every  country;  tea  and  coffee  are 
plentiful.  At  Jaffa  I  was  taken  ashore  from  a  wreck,  numbed  with  cold 
and  nearly  exhausted  from  exposure  ;  if  I  ever  needed  cordials,  it  was  then, 
and  although  they  were  freely  offered  me,  I  concluded  that  I  did  not  need 
them.  After  all,  the  reason  for  drinking  abroad  is  really  the  same  reason 
which  people  have  for  drinking  at  home  ;  namely,  because  they  want  to. 


MADONNA.     BY  ANDREA  DEL  SARTO. 


CHAPTER  II. 


ACROSS   THE    CONTINENT. 

THE  START. 

E  were  fully  a  week  in  fairly  setting  out  upon  our  jour- 
ney ;  pleasant  good-bys  and  expressions  of  tender  re- 
gard were  uttered  at  the  church  ;  then  we  stopped  by 
the  way  to  commit  into  tender  hands  the  one  bond 
which  more  than  all  others  bound  us  to  the  human 
family.     At  New  York  we  tarried  a  few  days  at  the 
Christian  Alliance  convention  then  in  session,  and  we 
went  from  it  with  a  holy  benediction  resting  upon  us, 
and  the  grateful  promise  by  Mr.  Simpson,  Mr.  Frank, 
and  others  to  pray  for  us  daily.     A  few  days  at  the 
Free  Baptist  anniversaries  in  Brooklyn  followed,  where  we 
formulated  some  plans  for  work  while  in  India  ;  then  we 
took  the  day  boat  for  Albany. 

The  day  on  the  Hudson  was  one  of  delight  amid 
scenery  both  natural  and  artificial,  the  beauty  of  which 
would  not  be  excelled  in  a  tour  around  the  world.  The 
fields  and  sloping  lawns  were  still  emerald  green,  but  shrubs 
and  trees  had  hung  out  their  autumnal  banners  to  wave  in  the  breeze  with 
all  the  colors  of  a  summer  flower  garden.  It  was  dark  when  we  reached  the 
capital  of  the  Empire  State,  but  we  were  soon  at  the  nearest  hotel  ;  then 
came  supper,  and  a  stroll  through  that  magnificent  monument  of  vanity 
and  expenditure,  —  the  capitol  building, —  then  sleep. 

October  10  we  awoke  refreshed,  though  conscious  as  never  before  that 
we  were  really  going  away  from  home.      Here  a  dear  friend  and  member 
fi6] 


ACROSS    THE    CONTINENT.  17 

of  our  family  circle  who  had  accompanied  us  to  this  point,  turned  back, 
and  we  set  out  in  earnest,  to  see  the  dear  ones  of  home  next  time  from  the 
other  side  of  the  world. 

ON  TO  CHICAGO. 

At  Fairport,  N.  Y.,  we  were  met  at  the  station  by  a  company  of  happy 
people  who  had  been  our  parishioners  nearly  eight  years  before.  The  greet- 
ings and  benedictions  hastily  spoken  were  full  of  good  cheer;  and  had  it 
not  been  for  the  little  ones  present,  whose  advent  succeeded  our  departure, 
we  might  easily  have  imagined  that  we  had  been  away  only  on  a  brief  visit. 

We  reached  Chicago  on  Saturday  evening,  October  n,  after  passing 
through  the  fertile  Mohawk  and  Genesee  valleys  ;  Michigan,  with  its  fruitful 
fields,  zigzag  fences,  and  broken  timber,  which  reminds  one  of  the  scripture, 
"  Where  the  tree  falleth,  there  it  shall  "be."  We  remained  in  Chicago  until 
Monday,  confident  that  we  should  get  back  at  our  appointed  time,  even 
if  we  waited  over  upon  the  Lord's  day,  when  possible. 

On  Sunday  morning  we  worshiped  in  one  of  the  delightful  churches  on 
Michigan  Ave.  A  lady  at  the  door  kindly  invited  us  inside  ;  we  had  a  good 
seat,  enjoyed  the  sermon,  but  failed  to  find  any  recognition  after  the  serv- 
ice, even  as  strangers  ;  but  we  were  thankful  that  we  knew  God.  In  the 
evening  we  attended  a  spirited  meeting  in  Mr.  Moody's  church,  corner  of 
Chicago  avenue  and  La  Salle  street.  We  were  glad  of  an  opportunity  to 
engage  in  an  after-service,  and  to  see  seven  step  over  the  line. 

Monday,  after  a  pleasant  visit  upon  my  friend,  Wilbur  F.  Messer,  gen- 
eral secretary  of  the  Chicago  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and 
putting  in  a  little  stock  of  religious  helps  to  distribute  in  foreign  lands  at 
Fleming  H.  RevelPs,  where  Mr.  Sandford  purchased  two  Bibles  for  our 
use  on  the  way,  we  took  the  train  for  a  continuous  journey  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

MOUNTAINS,  RIVERS,  PRAIRIES,  AND  DESERTS. 

Had  I  time,  I  would  like  to  tell  you  of  many  interesting  and  funny  sights 
and  sounds  ;  of  the  colored  porter  on  the  train  who  made  us  think  of  the 
judgment  day  when  in  sepulchral  tones  he  called  out,  "Las'  call  for  sup- 
per in  de  dinin-room  car,  nex '  car 'n  the  rear, —  las'  call";  of  flocks  of 
quail ;  herds  of  horses,  hogs  and  cattle  ;  endless  prairies,  great  cornfields  ; 


18 


IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


women  driving  spans  of  horses  in  the  fields  ;  prairie  schooners ;  great  ricks 
of  hay  and  straw,  and  corn-bins  containing  thousands  of  bushels  of  corn. 
Randolph  impressed  us  as  a  place  containing  one  house  and  three  parts 
of  houses  ;  Kansas  City  as  a  great  railroad  center,  for  here  at  one  glance 
we  saw  cars  marked  "Wabash,"  "Burlington  Route,"  "  C.  C.  C.  C.," 
"El  Paso,"  "Toledo,"  "St.  Louis,"  "Topeka  and  Santa  Fe,"  "Chicago, 
Missouri,  and  Nebraska,"  and  other  names.  From  Kansas  City  to  To- 
peka we  came  on  the 
Union  Pacific  road. 

Just  outside  Kansas 
City  we  were  delayed, 
and  our  uneasiness  was 
not  the  least  diminished 
when  a  brakeman  came 
to  the  rear  of  the  last 
car,  where  I  stood,  say- 
ing he  must  look  out 
for  a  U.  P.  train  just 
behind,  that  would  soon 
come  "sailing  out. "  But 
much  to  our  relief,  we 
soon  showed  our  heels 
to  the  U.  P.  train,  and  kicked  up  such  a  cloud  of  dust  and  autumn  leaves 
that  she  did  n't  once  come  in  sight  of  us.  On  through  the  land  invaded 
by  the  "bushwhackers"  of  the  Civil  war,  and  more  recently  by  the  "James 
gang," — the  land  once  the  haunt  of  that  animal  formerly  so  common  but 
now  almost  extinct  in  the  United  States, — the  wild  buffalo,  through 
a  warm,  sunny  atmosphere  into  a  snow-storm  and  through  it;  for  at  8:15 
our  time  and  6:15  the  porter's  time,  we  looked  out  upon  a  broad  prairie 
covered  with  snow,  the  white  sheet  broken  only  here  and  there  where  a 
ranchman's  hut  stood,  a  solitary  refuge,  or  a  few  trees  had  defied  loneliness, 
or  herds  of  cattle  were  huddled  together,  bellowing  for  shelter  and  food. 
To  the  northwest  Long's  Peak,  surrounded  by  a  bold  breastwork  of  foot- 
hills, stood  sentinel  for  the  country  behind  us,  reflecting  the  sun  in 
amber. 


TRANS-CONTINENTAL  SCENES. 


ACROSS   THE   CONTINENT. 


19 


How  many  changes  in  a  brief  time  !  they  led  our  thoughts  to  the  un- 
changeable, and  we  said  over  and  over  again  :  — 

"  He  prayeth  best  who  loveth  best 

All  things  both  great  and  small ; 
For  the  dear  God  who  loveth  us, 
He  made  and  loveth  all." 

At  the  station  in  Denver,  they  were  shoveling  the  snow.  How  clear 
and  bracing  the  air  was  !  The  waiting  travelers  looked  cosmopolitan ; 
here  was  one  with  crutches, 
there  one  with  canes  ;  yonder 
a  group  of  cowboys  with 
leathern  breeches  and  slouch 
hats ;  people  from  the  East, 
and  from  the  West,  some 
shivering  in  furs,  others 
shivering  without  furs.  Den- 
ver has  an  elevation  of  5196 
feet,  and  a  population  of  more 
than  125,000;  but  our  stay 
there  was  necessarily  short. 
We  took  the  narrow  gauge  — 
the  broad  gauge  being  within 
a  few  weeks  of  completion  — 
and  went  on  in  sight  of  Castle 
Rock,  thirty-two  miles  from 
Denver;  stopping  at  Palmer 
lake,  on  the  summit  of  the 
divide  and  7238  feet  above 
the  sea  level,  where  we  were 
tempted  to  turn  away  from  the 
beauties  of  nature  by  a  gener- 
ous piece  of  pie.  ,,  ~ 

GRAND  CANON  —  COLORADO. 

Soon  we  got  our  first  view 

of  Pike's  Peak,    the  grand   summit  of  the  Rockies.     All  day  we   caught 
occasional  glimpses  of  this  mountain  giant,  until  late  in  the  afternoon  we 


20  IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

entered  the  Grand  Canon.  Who  can  describe  this  canon,  especially  that 
part  called  the  Royal  Gorge?  The  crested  crags  rise  to  a  height  of  2600 
feet,  and  hang  over  a  gulf  of  air,  whose  somber  shadows  the  sun  has  never 
penetrated  ;  treeless,  the  beetling  cliffs  menace  the  intruder,  and  stand  stol- 
dly  above  the  madly-rushing,  pent-up  Arkansas  and  the  train  that  clings 
to  a  shelf  in  the  rock  almost  too  small  to  notice.  What  grand  scenery  ! 
What  engineering  !  No  wonder  the  poet  said  concerning  this  place  :  — 

"  Mortal,  ere  you  enter  here, 

Pause  and  bare  thy  brow  before  Him. 
You  are  entering  a  temple  which  the  mighty  One  did  rear; 

Put   thy  shoes  from  off  thy  feet, 

And  with  sacred  awe  adore  him. 
Throned  in  awful  might  and  majesty,  the  great  One  dwelleth  here." 

How  cheering  was  the  open  fire  at  Salida,  as  we  hurried  into  the  station 
out  of  the  cutting  mountain  air  !  How  beautiful  the  clouds  of  vandyke 
and  amber  hanging  over  the  peaks  !  Between  the  mountain  gaps,  and  in  a 
sky  of  amber,  blue,  and  violet,  the  evening  star  and  delicate  rim  of  the  new 
moon  shone  with  marvelous  brilliancy.  They  were  our  messengers  of 
blessing  to  the  Atlantic  Coast. 

We  ascended  Marshall  Pass  in  the  evening,  reaching  the  summit  at  nine 
o  'clock  mountain  time.  In  ascending  one  mile,  we  traveled  twelve,  on  a 
grade  of  21 1  feet  to  the  mile  at  times.  We  wound  in  and  out,  leaving  on  the 
precipitous  mountain-sides  behind  us  a  serpentine  track.  Sometimes  the 
rear  car  was  side  by  side  with  the  pair  of  engines  which,  snorting  and 
blowing  fire  and  smoke,  climbed  with  us  to  the  top.  We  passed  through 
several  snow-sheds  near  the  top  and  stopped  a  few  moments,  not  to  rest  our 
panting  horses,  but  to  pass  a  train.  Our  descent  was  more  rapid,  and  we 
went  to  sleep  thinking  of  what  a  nervy  man  our  engineer  must  be,  and  that 
we  had  been  — 

"  Like  soaring  birds  above  the  world.'' 

October  16  we  awoke  in  good  season,  got  breakfast  at  Grand  Junction, 
changed  to  broad  gauge,  hurried  on  a  hundred  miles  between  the  Grand  and 
Green  rivers,  and  then  plunged  into  the  great  desert  of  Utah.  This  waste 
of  sand,  crested  with  alkali  and  scattered  sage,  was  relieved  only  by  an  oc- 


ACROSS   THE   CONTINENT.  21 

casional  herd  of  cattle,  driven  by  mounted  cowboys,  or  the  distant  snowy 
summits  of  the  Sierra  La  Sal  and  the  San  Rafael  to  the  south,  and  the 
richly  colored  Book  Cliffs  to  the  north.  Thompson's  Springs  had  three 
little  dwellings,  one  store,  and  the  inevitable  saloon ;  farther  on  a  lonely 
sign-board  was  marked,  "Solitude;"  we  suppose  it  was  a  station,  but,—. 

"O  Solitude  !  where  are  the  charms 
That  sages  have  seen  in  thy  face  ?  " 

We  passed  through  Castle  Gate,  with  castellated  rocks  on  either  side, 
one  five  hundred  and  the  other  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high  ;  on  by 
lonely  dugouts,  and  flocks  of  sheep,  moving  like  a  tumultuous  sea  on  the 
hillside,  two  thousand  in  a  flock,  led  by  a  burro,  flanked  by  cowboys  and 
shepherd  dogs,  while  teams  and  an  emigrant  wagon  brought  up  the  rear ; 
through  Spanish  Fork  Canon,  past  Utah  Lake,  to  Provo,  Salt  Lake  City, 
the  seat  of  the  Mormon  Church,  and  to  Ogden,  where  we  waited  for  the 
Union  Pacific  express,  which  took  us  to  the  Pacific. 

Saturday  morning,  October  18,  I  awoke  before  sunrise  as  we  were  skirt- 
ing the  eastern  side  of  one  of  the  Sierras ;  we  had  left  behind  the  saltest 
sea  in  the  world  next  to  the  Dead  Sea,  herds  of  antelope  bounding  over 
prairie-dog  mounds,  prairie  wolves  looking  shy  and  sulky,  hundreds  of  cat- 
tle lying  where  they  had  perished  in  last  winter's  blizzard,  squaws  with  pa- 
pooses, and  lazy  bucks  lounging  at  the  stations  for  what  passengers  might 
leave  with  them. 

In  the  meantime  we  had  been  entertained  by  an  English  clergyman  and 
his  companion,  who  reminded  me  of  Arthur  Donnithorne  and  his  pastor  in 
"  Adam  Bede  ;  "  by  a  gentleman  and  two  ladies  who  got  on  at  Salt  Lake 
City,  whom  my  companion  declared  to  be  Mormon  polygamists,  but  who 
turned  out  to  be  Gentile  cousins  going  to  the  Pacific  Coast  for  the  winter ; 
by  a  soul-stirring  and  hair-lifting  nightmare  volunteered  by  Mr.  Sandford  ; 
and  by  a  touching  history  of  the  personal  adventures  of  two  friends  who 
left  Chicago  for  California  and  the  gold  regions  in  1851,  related  by  a  trav- 
eling companion  from  Chicago. 

Sunrise  among  the  Sierras  is  a  marvel  of  beauty;  but  we  hurried  by 
glints  of  water,  great  purple  depths,  mountain-sides  ragged  with  arrowy- 
pointed  tree-tops,  snow-sheds,  mountain  homes  rude  and  roughj  and  under 


22 


77V   7777i   PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


the  reddening  sky  made  haste  for  the  Sacramento  valley,  with  its  acres  of 
vineyards,  fruit  orchards,  and  grain  fields. 

At  Benicia  our  train  was  pushed  onto  the  "Solano,"  the  largest  transfer- 
boat  in  the  world,  which  took  us  to  Port  Costa;  here  we  were  joined  to  the 
rails  of  terra  firma  again,  and  went  on  to  Oakland.  The  station  at  Oak- 
land is  also  ferry-house,  and  we  easily  found  the  boat  which  was  to  take  us 
to  San  Francisco.  So  the  continent  was  crossed  and  thirty-six  hundred 
miles  of  our  tour  traveled. 

SAN  FRANCISCO. 

Denver  seemed  cosmopolitan,  but  San  Francisco  more  so  ;  here  nearly 
every  nation  of  the  civilized  world  is  represented,  and  every  condition  is 
seen,  from  the  opium  joints  of  Canton  to  the  luxury  of  millionaires. 


A  SAN  FRANCISCO  PALACE. 

On  Lord's  day  morning,  October  19,  we  attended  the  Free  Baptist 
Church  on  Bush  street.  It  was  the  second  Lord's  day  of  a  new  pastor  ;  his 
sermon  was  searching,  and  full  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  for  which  we  were  led 
to  thank  him.  One  other  person  besides  the  pastor  spoke  to  us  as  we  came 
out. 

In  the  evening  we  attended  the  Mariners'  Church,  where  everybody 
seemed  to  "pitch  in  "  for  good  results.  The  gospel  service  which  pre- 


ACROSS   THE   CONTINENT.  23 

ceded  the  sermon  was  well  attended  ;  any  lack  in  refinement  was  more  than 
made  up  in  adaptation  and  earnestness.  The  sermon  was  in  a  large  room 
which  must  have  been  very  attractive  to  seamen.  It  was  sealed  with  wood 
as  a  ship's  cabin  would  be  ;  the  platform  was  the  stern  of  a  ship  painted 
white  and  scrolled  with  gold,  while  in  front  of  the  pulpit — a  pilot-house  — 
was  the  wheel.  Below  the  pulpit,  upon  the  stern,  was  a  dove  with  olive 
branches,  and  underneath,  the  words,  "Mariners'  Church."  Over  the 
pulpit  were  these  words,  "And  He  sat  down  and  taught  the  people  out 
of  the  ship."  Luke  5  13. 

The  sermon  from  the  text  in  Ex.  32  :  26  was  simple,  plain,  and  direct. 
As  the  preacher  finished,  a  company  of  young  people  stepped  forward  and 
sang,  while  Christians  went  quietly  and  quickly  into  every  part  of  the  house 
to  converse  with  the  congregation.  It  was  a  precious  hand-to-hand  work 
for  God,  and  for  souls  that  were  soon  to  be  out  upon  the  wide  sea  —  some 
perhaps  never  to  see  land  again. 


CHAPTER   III. 


FROM   AMERICA   TO   JAPAN. 

GOOD-BY  AND  AFTERWARD. 

CTOBER  21,  we  sailed  on  the  "Belgic"  of  the  Occi- 
dental and  Oriental  Line  at  1:22  p.  M.  Three  times  the 
gong  sounded,  then  the  bell  struck,  the  plank  was  lifted, 
and  the  span  between  us  and  our  native  land  must  widen 
for  many  a  day.  None  but  those  who  have  had  a  simi- 
lar experience  know  with  what  emotions  we  watched  the 
company  on  the  dock  waving  their  handkerchiefs  to  our  departing  ship, 
and  with  what  eagerness  we  scanned  the  right-angled  streets  over  and 
across  the  hill,  the  forests  of  masts,  the  light-house  ;  how  we  looked  back 
through  the  Golden  Gate,  and  then  to  the  receding  hills  of  "the  fairest 
land  the  sun  ever  shone  upon."  A  few  moments  of  waiting  for  our  pilot 
to  climb  over  the  side,  and  then  our  prow  was  unmistakably  set  toward  the 
"land  of  the  rising  sun." 

The  "  Belgic "  is  a  good,  staunch  ship,  not  speedy,  but  especially 
adapted  to  rolling.  The  state-rooms  are  clean,  the  table  is  excellent. 
Her  captain  looks  well  to  his  ship,  but  is  not  fond  of  missionaries  or 
ministers  ;  the  crew  is  of  Chinamen  and  the  ship  is  managed  with  precision. 
There  are  on  board  seven  hundred  and  fifteen  Chinese  in  the  steerage,  and 
thirty-nine  first  cabin  passengers,  among  them  being  Rev.  R.  W.  Pitcher,  a 
missionary  returning  to  Amoy,  China  ;  Rev.  E.  Z.  Simmons  and  wife  ;  Mrs. 
L.  A.  Davault  and  child  ;  and  Miss  Lulu  Whilden,  all  missionaries  returning 
to  Canton  ;  and  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  M.  Rollins,  missionaries  to  Japan.  These 
men  and  women  of  God  are  pleasant  friends  with  us,  and  very  soon  we  fee1 
quite  at  home,  and  learn  much  of  the  places  to  which  we  are  going. 
[24] 


FROM  AMERICA    TO  JAPAN.  25 

My  resolutions  are  a  benefit  to  me  here,  for  while  I  have  company  that 
helps  me,  I  find  that  I  ought  to  help  others.  There  are  seven  experienced 
miners  on  board  going  into  the  North  of  China,  three  hundred  miles  above 
Tien-Tsin,  to  open  a  silver  mine.  One  of  them  feels  very  sad  at  leaving 
his  family  in  New  York  ;  but  the  most  of  them  do  not  require  any  sym- 
pathy—  their  expenses  are  paid  and  they  have  a  good  salary.  Why  should 
the  missionary  be  so  loth  to  go  and  carry  the  Pearl  of  great  price  to  per- 
ishing souls  ?  If  love  of  souls  were  as  great  as  the  love  of  money,  there 
would  be  more  missionaries. 

Saturday,  the  25th,  I  felt  condemned  when  I  heard  one  of  the  miners  say 
he  thought  it  strange  that  the  missionaries  aboard  were  no  more  sociable. 
In  the  evening  I  had  a  very  pleasant  talk  with  three  of  them  about  Jesus 
Christ  and  our  need  of  him,  after  several  of  us  had  sung  gospel  hymns  on 
deck. 

Sunday,  the  26th,  I  wrote  thus  in  my  journal:  "This  is  the  Lord's 
day  ;  there  is  a  strong  wind,  the  long  rolls  are  giving  way  to  chops  and 
white-caps.  I  am  glad  that  I  am  to  speak  to  the  people  this  morning. 
God  has  heard  my  prayer,  and  given  me  something  to  do  here."  At  10:30 
the  bells  struck  for  the  service.  Not  a  large  company  gathered,  but  all  the 
missionaries,  three  of  the  miners,  and  one  young  man  for  whom  I  had 
had  a  special  burden  of  prayer,  were  among  them.  Mr.  Pitcher  of  the  Dutch 
Reformed  Church  took  charge  of  the  English  service ;  some  understood 
it,  and  some  did  not ;  the  people  responded  feebly  to  the  prayers  and  self- 
depreciations  which  fit  all  alike.  We  sang  ' '  Sun  of  My  Soul, "  ' '  Jesus  Lover 
of  My  Soul,"  and  then  I  spoke  from  Mai.  3  :  16-18.  The  Lord  blessed 
the  service.  Mr.  Sandford  and  I  sang  "The  Riches  of  Love,"  and  the  meet- 
ing closed.  Mr.  Simmons  preached  to  the  Chinese  in  the  afternoon. 

In  the  evening  I  talked  with  one  of  the  miners.  He  told  me  that  he 
had  been  a  Christian,  and  even  the  superintendent  of  a  Bible-school  in 
New  York,  but  that  he  had  begun  to  wander.  He  said  it  had  been  a  serious 
question  in  his  mind,  whether  he  would  confess  to  the  men  of  his  com- 
pany that  he  was  a  Christian,  and  try  to  hold  Christ  up  to  them  and  help 
them,  or  say  nothing  about  it,  and  be  a  man  of  the  world  among  them ; 
but  the  morning  service  had  led  him  back  to  God  ;  he  had  already  laid  all 
upon  the  altar,  confessed  Christ  to  his  companions  and  determined,  by 


26  IN  THE  PA  TH  OF  LIGHT. 

the  help  of  God,  to  live  among  them  a  Christian.  I  lent  him  "The 
Christian's  Secret  of  a  Happy  Life,"  and  retired  satisfied  with  the  work 
of  the  day. 

The  peace  of  God  abode  with  me,  although  a  rough  and  stormy  night 
gave  us  a  great  variety.  The  whistle  of  the  man  on  the  bridge  ;  the  run  of 
the  sailors  to  and  fro  ;  their  "  yo-ho  "  to  unify  their  pull  upon  the  cables  ; 
the  stroke  of  the  bells  ;  the  beating  of  the  rain  ;  the  howl  of  the  wind  and 
the  swash  of  the  sea  ;  the  tinkle  of  an  electric  bell  denoting  the  distress  of 
some  passenger ;  the  groan  and  creak  of  the  heaving,  pitching,  rolling, 
twisting  ship  ;  and  the  consciousness  of  being  only  one  third  the  distance 
across  the  Pacific;  —  all  these  made  the  night  real  :  but  God  was  more 

real  than  all. 

A  POINTER. 

One  day  while  in  the  reading-room,  my  attention  was  called  to  a  Chi- 
nese porter  who  was  trying  to  open  a  bottle  of  beer  for  a  man  in  front  of 
him.  The  cork  of  the  bottle  was  toward  the  thirsty  Anglican,  while  the 
Mongolian  was  trying  to  start  it.  The  thirsty  ««-gentleman  was  afraid  of 
the  stopper,  while  he  craved  that  which  might  force  it  out,  so  he  abused 
the  agitated  porter  with  oaths  and  threats.  Meeting  the  porter  later,  he 
asked  me  if  I  heard  the  abuse,  and  further  remarked:  "He  Christian.  I 
rather  be  heathen,  rather  be  Chinaman,  rather  be  anybody. "  I  began  to 
see  how  we  can.  influence  the  heathen  who  come  to  us,  and  how  they  call 
all  Christians  who  come  from  Christian  lands,  having  no  power  to  dis- 
criminate between  Christians  and  Christ-like  ones. 

THINGS  IN  GENERAL. 

When  we  crossed  that  mysterious,  magic  line  which  steals  away  from 
us  a  day,  it  appeared  to  be  most  convenient  to  drop  Lord's  day;  but  some 
of  us  could  not  afford  to  wait  two  weeks  for  service,  and  so  we  obtained 
permission  to  hold  service  on  Monday.  Rev.  Mr.  Simmons  took  charge 
of  the  service,  Mr.  Sandford  preached  from  Acts  26  -.29,  and  we  sang 
"Nearer  my  God  to  Thee,"  and  "There  Is  a  Fountain."  Upon  the  follow- 
ing Sunday,  Mr.  Rollins  preached  from  Luke  16  :  25.  -  We  sang  "The  Gate 
Ajar,"  "I  Need  Thee  Every  Hour,"  and  "  How  Sweet  the  Name  of  Jesus 


FROM  AMERICA    TO  JAPAN,  27 

Sounds."  In  the  afternoon  Mr.  Simmons  preached  in  the  steerage,  and 
we  sang  gospel  hymns  and  committed  these  benighted  souls  to  God. 

Some  of  the  Chinese  go  home  to  invest  the  money  which  they  have 
gained,  some  to  die  —  for  they  all  think  that  their  bodies  must  be  buried  in 
the  home  land.  One  died  after  we  left  San  Francisco  ;  they  embalmed  his 
body  and  put  it  into  one  of  the  great  coffins  which  the  ship  carries  for  such 
emergencies.  With  curiosity  we  watched  his  friends  pass  around  a  large 
tin  pan  with  a  dough-like  looking  substance  in  the  bottom  of  it  called 
"funeral  bake-meats,"  to  receive  a  collection  to  pay  for  embalming  and 
the. funeral.  There  were  many  dimes,  dollars  not  a  few,  and  five-dollar 
gold  pieces,  all  new  and  shining. 

We  were  often  entertained  by  watching  them  at  dinner ;  every  huge  dish 
of  boiled  rice  with  accompanying  dishes  of  relishes,  such  as  sausage,  cab- 
bage, stewed  meat,  boiled  melon,  shrimps,  or  baked  beans,  had  a  hungry 
group  about  it,  each  with  bowl  and  chop-sticks.  The  bowl  was  filled  with 
rice,  and  soon  emptied  to  be  filled  again,  the  Chinaman  placing  the  bowl 
close  to  his  mouth  and  pushing  great  quantities  of  the  soft  rice  from  one 
opening  into  the  other,  and  then  taking  a  bit  of  meat  or  a  baked  bean  to 
his  mouth  between  his  chop-sticks  as  safely  as  though  it  had  been  speared 
with  a  fork. 

We  had  plenty  of  time  for  writing  and  reading.  Among  other  books, 
"A  Social  Departure,  "by  Sara  J.  Duncan;  and  "Among  the  Holy  Hills," 
by  Henry  M.  Fields,  D.  D.,  gave  me  pleasant  anticipations  of  what  was 
before  me  in  some  quarters. 

We  approached  Japan  in  a  storm,  after  a  variety  of  wind,  sea,  and 
weather ;  sometimes  it  was  soft  and  balmy  as  summer,  sometimes  cool, 
stormy,  and  rolling,  so  that  we  thought  we  might  have  to  roll  one  another 
after  reaching  shore,  in  order  to  sleep,  until  we  got  used  to  the  change. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


NIPPON. 

YOKOHAMA. 


FUJIYAMA.  '     [I  t^K  ^!    W          I  pi  rff^pfl"" °Ur 

joy,  when,  after 

a  stormy  night,  the  clouds  broke  away,  the  rain  ceased,  and  it  was  an- 
nounced while  we  were  at  breakfast  that  Japan  was  in  sight.  We  pre- 
ferred this  vision  to  our  breakfast,  and  hastened  on  deck.  Far  away  on 
our  port  the  masts  of  a  vessel  appeared,  which  proved  to  be  a  Russian 
man-of-war  bound  for  Yokohama  —  the  first  vessel  we  had  seen  since  we 
left  our  pilot-boat  by  the  Golden  Gate.  On  our  starboard  the  long  line 
of  hills,  serrated  like  a  great  saw,  grew  more  distinct ;  occasional  groups 
of  angular  pines  with  sparse  foliage  were  scattered  over  them  ;  rice  terraces 
climbed  their  sides  ;  while  here  and  there  fishermen's  villages  of  low,  straw- 
thatched  houses  nestled  close  to  the  water.  Up  the  bay,  sixty  miles  deep 
[28] 


NIPPON. 


29 


and  from  ten  to  twenty-five  wide,  we  go,  past  the  light-nouse,  the  pre- 
tentious but  foolish  defenses  of  the  bay  ;  fishing  junks,  which  look  as  though 
both  ends  were  sterns,  sometimes  with  straw  matting  for  sails;  and  then  the 
famous  "bluffs  "  where  foreigners  live  amid  the  beauties  of  a  semi-tropical 
fairy  land  ;  on,  apparently  to  a  village  which  they  tell  us  is  Kanagawa. 
But  no,  we  turn  to  the  left  as  the  "  Belgic  "  clears  the  throat  of  her  grum 
whistle  for  the  first  time  since  she  left  her  American  dock,  and  among  the 
ships  from  many  nations  (one  of  which  is  the  "Omaha"  from  the  United 
States),  the  sampans,  the  junks,  rafts,  manned  by  sinewy,  half-naked  and 
naked,  shouting,  and  struggling  human  beings,  we  are  anchored  to  the 
buoy,  out  in  the  bay,  having  made  our  voyage  of  five  thousand  and  ninety- 
seven  miles,  in  nineteen  days  and  eight  hours. 

My  taste  was  for  Miss  Britton's  Missionary  Boarding-house,  but  Mr. 
Sandford  felt  that  his  taste  would  be  better  satisfied  at  the  Club  Hotel,  so 
to  the  Club  Hotel  we  immediately  went,  or  Mr.  Sandford  did,  for  I  was 
detained  at  the  custom-house  on  account  of  my  camera  and  dry  plates. 
The  custom-house  is  close  to  the  Ha-to-ba  (landing  place),  so  my  landing 
and  detention  were  about  simultaneous. 

From  office  to  office  I  went  with  an  old  fellow  who  could  do  nothing  in 
English  but  grunt  and  laugh.  I  purchased  a  paper  to  fill  out,  which  cost 
one  sen  (about  a  cent), 
The  nearest  I  could 
come  to  it  was  a  nickel, 
and  the  man  took  it  all. 
At  length  a  snappy-eyed 
official  came  who  talked 
some  English,  and  when 
I  told  him  the  value  of 
my  camera  and  plates, 
he  put  on  a  third  more, 
and  said,  "Cheap  enough 
at  that."  Five  per  cent  on 
the  value  was  increased 
to  ten  per  cent,  because 
the  "Belgic"  had  not  

YOKOHAMA. 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


CLUB  HOTEL  —  THE  BUND. 


registered ;  and  after 
going  out  to  get 
money  changed,  and 
paying  duty,  I  de- 
parted for  the  hotel, 
always  to  remember 
my  first  two  hours  in 
Japan. 

The  Club  is  on 
the  Bund,  a  street 
occupied  by  foreign- 
ers, facing  the  bay, 
and  having  buildings 
in  architecture  and 
substantiality  not  un- 
like what  you  might 
see  in  a  medium-sized  city  of  America.  However,  I  prefer  the  Bluff. 

We  hastened  to  meet  some  of  the  missionaries,  after  first  visiting  the 
American  consul  to  get  mail,  and  request  passports.  To  do  this  we  took 
our  first  jinrikisha  ride.  How  odd  it  seemed  to  get  into  this  little  two- 
wheeled  chaise  and  be  trundled  about  by  a  coolie  !  At  first  it  seemed  in- 
human to  put  a  man  in  the  place  of  a  brute,  but  we  soon  got  used  to  it,  and 
imagined  ourselves  a  grown-up  baby  in  fairy  land.  To  be  sure,  we  had 
to  walk  up  the  hill,  but  that  was  a  part  of  the  novelty.  We  passed  through 
streets  lined  with  little  bamboo  shops  having  their  wares  plainly  in  sight  of 
the  passers-by,  lanes  with  feathery  bamboo  hedges,  with  here  and  there  a 
bed  of  elegant  chrysanthemums  —  the  flower  of  the  mikado's  empire.  At 
"  2  Bluff"  we  found  the  home  of  Miss  Britton,  a  haven  of  rest  for  many  an 
outgoing  and  incoming  missionary.  In  common  with  most  of  the  houses 
on  the  Bluff  it  is  surrounded  by  a  maze  of  floral  and  wooded  beauty  peculiar 
to  this  land.  Just  below  is  the  city  of  funny-looking  houses  ;  to  the  east 
lies  the  bay  ;  to  the  northwest  the  eye  runs  over  hills  apparently  turned  in- 
side out,  until  high  over  all  is  the  snow-crowned  Fujiyama  —  Japan's  sacred 
mountain.  From  "2  "  we  went  to  "  2 12, "and  found  Miss  Helen  Kinney, 
a  missionary  of  the  Christian  Alliance,  who  was  stopping  with  Mrs.  Pierson 


NIPPON.  31 

and  Miss  Crosby,   of  the  Woman's    Union    Missionary    Society  until  she 
should  secure  a  passport  for  some  inland  work. 

This  was  the  first  of  several  delightful  and  profitable  visits  to  this 
very  successful  mission  home.  The  work  of  these  missionaries  is  with 
girls,  through  a  school  and  Bible  women  ;  formerly  it  was  largely  con- 
fined to  the  Eurasians,  and  several  of  these  are  among  the  present 
pupils. 

We  were  permitted  to  spend  some  time  with  our  friend  Mr.  Pitcher,  of 
the  "Belgic,"  who  was  stopping  with  Mr.  Booth,  principal  of  Ferris  Semi- 
nary, a  mission-school,  well  officered,  in  a  substantial  and  well-equipped 
building.  Mr.  Booth  has  been  several  years  in  Japan,  and  aided  us  very 
much  in  understanding  the  genius  of  the  education  going  on  there.  His 
lady  assistants  are  from  America. 

At  the  Seamen's  Mission  we  found  a  valuable  accession  to  Yokohama 
missionaries  in  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Austion  from  England.  Mr.  Austion  was 
ill,  but  we  dined  with  the  family,  and  participated  in  two  meetings  held  in 
the  Seamen's  Hall.  At  one  of  these  I  was  led  to  speak  of  the  personality  of 
God  and  our  definite  work  for  souls.  I  met  here  several  sailors ;  Mr. 
Wallis,  who  is  first  engineer  on  the  British  man-of-war  in  the  bay,  and  who 
is  a  very  earnest  Christian  ;  and  a  Mr.  Buckan,  a  ship's  first  officer.  I 
would  that  there  were  more  such  men.  I  was  fortunate  in  finding  an  old 
acquaintance  of  Dr.  O.  R.  Bacheler's,  of  Midnapore, —  Miss  Kimball,  for- 
merly of  the  Doremus 
Mission  in  Calcutta, 
but  now  working  with 
the  Protestant  Metho- 
dists. I  find  that  she 
has  left  most  of  her 
heart  in  India.  Espec- 
ially fortunate  was  I  in 
meeting  with  the  ven- 
erable J.  C.  Hepburn, 
D.  D.,  of  the  Presby- 
terian Mission,  one  of 
the  first  missionaries 

CANAL  IN  YOKOHAMA. 


32  IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

in  modem  missions  for  Japan  ;  he  has  been  in  the  country  over  thirty 
years,  and  has  witnessed  the  progress  of  religious  work  from  the  beginning, 
also  the  change  from  feudalism  to  the  present  constitutional  monarchy. 
He  laments  the  slow  progress  of  Christianity  here,  seeing  much  that  is  real 
only  in  appearance,  but  he  has  faith  in  the  final  triumph  of  the  true  faith 
over  Buddhism  and  Shintoism. 

LORD'S  DAY. 

On  my  first  Lord's  day  in  Japan,  I  attended  the  Union  church  at  two 
services.  The  Japanese  service  was  at  10  A.  M,  The  house,  which  probably 
holds  three  hundred  and  twenty-five,  was  full;  we,  coming  a  little  late,  had 
to  stand.  The  native  preacher  was  deeply  in  earnest,  and  although  we 
could  not  understand  a  word  he  said,  we  felt  his  spirit,  and  saw  that  he 
held  the  closest  attention  of  his  audience.  The  people  were  clean  and  well 
dressed.  They  arose  for  the  benediction,  then  sat  again,  bowed  their  heads 
in  prayer,  and  then  one  after  another,  as  they  chose,  came  quietly  out  to 
slip  on  their  sandals  which  they  had  left  in  the  vestibule,  and  go  home, 
never  forgetting  to  recognize  us  as  they  passed,  by  the  characteristic 
Japanese  bow. 

An  English  service  followed,  at  which  Rev.  Mr.  Bennett  of  the  Baptist 
Mission  preached  from  the  last  two  verses  of  Jude.  The  service  closed  in 
the  same  manner  as  the  former  one,  and  I  could  not  but  wish  that  it  might 
prevail  in  America  in  place  of  the  organ  postlude  and  bustle  of  the  depart- 
ing congregation. 

AMONG  THE  PEOPLE. 

Some  of  the  public  buildings  are  after  the  English  or  American  style, 
and  quite  substantial,  but  buildings  are  usually  made  "to  give,"  and  thus 
withstand  the  earthquakes.  Farm-houses  are  made  of  bamboo  and  sods, 
with  straw  thatching,  and  become  more  or  less  substantial,  according  to 
the  size  of  the  place.  Delicate  straw  matting  usually  covers  the  floors  of 
houses  in  the  town  ;  paper  forms  the  window  panes,  and  separates  the 
apartments  ;  indeed,  paper  is  used  for  many  things.  It  is  made  into  nap- 
kins, fans,  sun  umbrellas,  and  the  same  oiled  for  rain  umbrellas.  The 
lanterns  are  all  of  paper  ;  and  streets  hung  with  them  always  seem  in  gala- 
day  attire.  The  light  of  the  coolie's  hut  is  a  paper  lantern,  and  the  chan- 


NIPPON. 


33 


deliers  of  the  grandest  temple  are  paper  balloons  beautifully  deco- 
rated. A  street  of  moving  jinrikishas  at  night,  swiftly  dodging  from 
side  to  side,  looks  like  a  lane  of  fireflies  in  August ;  for  each  jinrikisha 
man  carries  his  paper  lantern.  Instead  of  putting  the  candle  into  the 
candlestick,  they  put  the  candlestick  into  the  candle,  the  former  being  a 
sharp  spike  in  the  bottom  of  the  lantern.  The  jinrikisha  man  wipes  per- 
spiration from  his  brow  with  paper  handkerchiefs,  while  those  in  higher  life 
not  unfrequently  pro- 
duce a  soft  paper  to 
blow  their  nose  in. 

The  politeness  of 
the  people  is  prover- 
bial, and  is  not  want 
ing  even  among  the 
coolies.  The  slight- 
est favor  receives  its 
arigato  (thank  you). 
The  bow  of  the  peo- 
ple is  not  an  Ameri- 
can nod,  but  con  ex- 
pressione,  a  placing 
of  the  hands  upon 
the  knees,  and  a  bending  of  the  body  at  the  waist  until  the  face  nearly 
touches  the  ground  ;  this  is  done  over  and  over  again,  even  among  them- 
selves, until  you  wonder  which  will  hold  out  the  longer  after  the  sayonara 
(good-by)  is  said. 

The  coolies  have  but  little  dress  upon  them.  Hotel  waiters  wear  a 
blouse  and  tights  of  dark  blue,  so  tight  that  you  would  wonder  if  their  legs 
were  not  melted  and  run  in.  The  great  toe  is  separated  from  the  rest,  mak- 
ing you  think  of  the  cloven-footed.  Some  men  and  women  wear  American 
costumes,  but  they  look  better  in  their  flowing  kimono,  with  the  elegant 
obi  (sash),  wooden  sandals,  and  bare  heads.  The  art  of  Japan  is  more  in 
decorating  than  in  designing,  although  the  lacquer,  satsuma,  and  cloisonne 
are  rich  both  in  design  and  composition.  Her  artists  seem  able  to  give  to 
their  objects  a  touch  of  life  that  is  very  rare.  Fujiyama,  the  sacred  mount- 
3 


WRITING  A  LETTER. 


34 


IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


ain,  and  domestic  scenes  enter  largely  into  the  decoration.  Photography 
is  done  most  excellently,  and  pictures  on  silk  are  beautifully  wrought  both 
in  silk  thread  and  water  colors.  Some  of  the  ladies  are  quite  pretty  ;  mar- 
ried woman  paint  their  teeth  black,  and  usually  keep  their  mouths  open. 
Everywhere  the  people  are  happy  and  full  of  fun.  In  the  country,  life  is 
very  simple  ;  men  and  women  work  together  in  the  field.  I  saw  only  two 

intoxicated  persons, 
although  saki  (a  na- 
tive drink)  and  for- 
eign drinks  were 
common. 

KAMAKURA. 

Kamakura  is 
eighteen  miles  from 
Yokohama,  and  it 
took  an  entire  day  to 
visit  the  ruins  of 
this  city,  the  capital 
of  Eastern  Nippon 
for  four  hundred 
years.  There  were 
three  of  us,  Mr. 
Pitcher,  Mr.  Sand- 
ford,  and  myself,  in  jinrikishas,  with  two  men  to  a  carriage.  The  ride  was 
charming  ;  we  went  through  rice  fields,  among  thatched  farm-houses,  fre- 
quently halting  to  expose  with  my  camera,  or  to  rest  our  coolies  at  some 
quaint  village. 

HACHIMAN. 

Just  this  side  of  Kamakura  is  the  temple  of  Hachiman,  set  upon  a 
stately  terrace,  with  well-arranged  grounds  in  front  of  it,  reached  by  a  lofty 
flight  of  stone  steps.  In  these  grounds  are  several  buildings,  a  lotus-pond, 
and  three  large  willows  said  to  be  seven  hundred  years  old.  The  main 
temple  is  surrounded  by  a  square  colonnade,  painted  red  ;  and  in  front  of  all 


OF  HACHIMAN. 


NIPPON.  3? 

is  a  mile-long  ruined  avenue,  leading  to  the  sea.  It  must  have  been  beauti- 
ful originally,  for  the  third  tori-i  is  half  a  mile  down  the  avenue.  Hachi- 
man  was  the  Mars  of  Nippon,  and  this  temple  was  much  frequented  in 
feudal  times. 

DAIBUTSU. 

The  great  image  of  Buddha  is  about  a  mile  from  Hachiman,  seated  in 
the  midst  of  beautiful  grounds,  at  the  end  of  a  tree-fringed  walk.  It  is 
very  striking,  and  said  to  be  the  largest  image  in  the  world,  being  49  ft.  7  in. 


DAIBUTSU. 

high,  97  ft.  2.2  in.  in  circumference,  with  a  length  from  knee  to  knee  of  35 
ft.  8.4  in.;  the  thumb  is  larger  than  Mr.  Pitcher,  who  stood  upon  it  when  I 
took  the  accompanying  picture,  being  3  ft.  in  circumference.  The  width 
from  ear  to  ear  is  17  ft.  9.2  in.  The  eyes  are  of  pure  gold,  and  the  silver 
boss  on  the  forehead  weighs  30  Ibs.  avoirdupois.  This  image,  formed 
of  sheets  of  brass,  cut  separately,  brazed  together,  and  finished  with  a 
chisel  on  the  inside,  Satow  thinks  was  cast  in  1252.  The  inside  forms 
a  chapel.  How  different  from  our  God  who  is  greater  than  Daibutsu, 
and  who  is  in  every  place  ! 


36  IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

TOKYO. 

We  made  two  visits  to  Tokyo,  one  to  go  through  the  temple  of  Asakusa 
and  the  chrysanthemum  show,  and  the  other  to  see  the  Shiba  temples. 

ASAKUSA. 

The  Buddhist  temple  of  Asakusa  is  large,  rich,  and  filled  with  worship- 
ers. A  long  avenue  leads  to  it,  lined  with  stalls  filled  with  curios.  Passing 
through  a  two-storied,  red,  wooden  gate  ornamented  with  ugly  images,  we 
stand  among  prayer-wheels,  beggars,  and  peddlers.  The  great  hall  is  one 
hundred  and  two  feet  square,  and  surrounded  by  a  wide  gallery  ;  gigantic 
lanterns  are  everywhere  ;  pigeons  roost  on  the  gilded  beams. 

The  chancel  is  separated  from  the  nave  by  a  wire  screen.  Images  rest 
upon  the  high  altar,  resplendent  with  lamps,  sacred  vessels,  flowers,  damask, 
and  gold.  Many  worshipers  stand  before  a  long  box  into  which  they 
throw  money,  then  clap  their  hands  with  a  loud  report,  bow  low  often,  and 
whisper  their  prayers.  Wire  screens  surround  some  of  the  gods ;  to 
these  prayers  were  tied,  or  sometimes  chewed  up  and  flung  at  the  god,  who 
is  sure  to  answer  if  the  spit-ball  sticks  (?).  The  god  of  health,  which  is 
said  to  heal  when  the  hand  of  the  invalid  is  placed  upon  his  afflicted  part, 
and  then  upon  it,  had  his  features  nearly  all  rubbed  off. 

SHIBA. 

The  temples  of  Shiba  are  very  elegant,  and  next  to  those  of  Nikko, 
the  finest  in  Japan.  What  a  combination  we  find  here  !  There  are 
gardens;  woods;  courts;  pagodas;  oratories;  avenues  of  stone  daimio 
lanterns,  "  like  miniature  light-houses  in  broad-brimmed  hats ;  "  magnificent 
gateways  carved  in  dragons,  birds,  lotus  and  crests  ;  chapels  with  tombs 
of  the  shoguns  wrought  in  elaborate  arabesque,  red  and  black  lacquer,  and 
blazing  with  gold.  Galleries  and  passages  are  often  made  of  lacquer, 
over  which  no  one  is  allowed  to  pass  until  he  has  removed  his  boots. 
We  must  not  come  away  without  visiting  the  Hakkakudo,  the  octagonal 
hall  containing  the  tomb  of  the  second  shogun,  the  most  magnificent 
specimen  of  gold  lacquer  in  Japan.  We  persuade  the  priest  to  leave  his 
smoking,  and  with  his  iron  keys  he  leads  us  through  a  winding  semi- 
paved  way  among  white  and  pink  japonicas  and  tall  cryptomerias.  The 


NIPPON. 


37 


heavy  door  swings  and  we  enter  ;  the  walls  are  gilt  over  lacquer  ;  eight 
pillars  covered  with  gilt  copper  plates  cover  the  roof ;  gilt  open  work 
carvings  are  on  the  upper  part  ;  Chinese  enamel  pieces  are  on  the  sides  ; 
inside  is  an  effigy  and  a  funeral  tablet,  the  body  being  below  the  pave- 
ment. Just  outside  are  two  curiously  carved  stones,  the  subject  of  one 


NIKKO  TEMPLE. 

being  the  entry  of  Nirvana,  or  death  of  Shaka,  and  that  of  the  other,  the 
five  and  twenty  Buddhisattvas  coming  with  Amitabha  (Amida)  to  welcome 

the  departed  soul. 

CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 

No  one  sees  the  chrysanthemum  until  he  goes  to  Japan  ;  it  is  her  na- 
ional  flower,  and  is  seen  in  size,  variety,  and  manner  of  training  as  nowhere 
else.  In  its  season  a  piece  of  land  like  a  fair-ground  is  separated  into 
booths,  each  having  one  or  more  scenes  from  history,  mythology,  or  local 
matters,  represented  in  chrysanthemums  of  various  sizes  and  colors  ;  it  is 


38 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


novel  and  beautiful.  I  was  fortunate  in  going  to  Tokyo  with  Mr.  Booth, 
Mr.  Pitcher,  the  Misses  Kinney,  Brokaw,  and  Inouye-san ;  the  latter  is 
Miss  Kinney's  teacher.  She  was  very  busy  distributing  tracts  to,  and  talk- 
ing about  Christ  with,  whomsoever  she  might  meet.  Ueno  Park,  with  its 
lordly  Tokugawa  S^ogun  tombs,  its  museum,  zoological  garden,  its 
Daibutsu,  and  stately  trees  ;  the  Tsukiji,  where  foreigners  congregate  ;  the 
curio  shops  and  bazaars  of  Tokyo  —  all  these  are  of  interest.  How  strange 
seemed  this  city  of  low,  tiled-roofed  buildings,  all  much  alike,  containing 
1,300,000  people.  Among  these  are  three  thousand  Buddhist  and  Shinto 


SHRINE  AT  HOMMOKO. 

temples;  but,  thank  God,   we  find  here  missionaries  who  are  making  an 
impression. 

Hommoko,  a  little  village  by  the  sea,  revealed  to  us  much  of  the  natural 
habits  and  tastes  of  the  people. 

KOBE. 

We  sailed  for  Kobe,  in  a  storm,  November  18,  on  the  beautiful  ship, 
"Kobe  Maru,"  in  which  we  found  pleasant  officers,  pleasant  travelers,  not 
excluding  "Billy,"  a  domesticated  deer,  and  a  pleasant  home  all  the  way 
to  Shanghai.  We  stopped  at  Kobe,  Shimonoseki,  and  Nagasaki.  Up  to 


NIPPON,  39 

ten  o'clock,  the  storm  increased  with  desperate  fury,  drenching  our  state- 
rooms. The  following  day  was  delightful,  and  sent  us  happily  up  to  Kobe 
and  Hyogo  at  the  head  of  the  Inland  Sea.  We  found  Rev.  Mr.  Thomp- 
son, a  Scotchman,  of  the  Baptist  church,  quite  at  home  here,  and  success- 
ful, having  been  here  several  years.  Rev.  Mr.  Lawson  and  his  good  wife 
of  the  Southern  Methodist  church  welcomed  us  to  their  vineyard.  Here 
we  found  Mrs.  Rollins,  who  crossed  the  Pacific  with  us  ;  she  and  her  hus- 
band were  expecting  to  be  stationed  near  here  quite  soon,  and  Mr.  Rollins 
was  away  looking  up  the  prospects.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Ludlow  of  the  Chris- 
tian Alliance  were  in  charge  of  the  Seamen's  Mission.  Although  Mr. 
Ludlow  was  away,  his  good  wife  heartily  welcomed  us  to  their  real 
Japanese  home,  and  in  company  with  her  and  her  son  Theodore  we  visited 
some  of  the  ships  in  the  harbor,  and  left  some  tracts  with  the  crew.  How 
good  it  seemed  to  speak  to  these  voyagers  of  the  deep,  of  some  of  God's 
promises  ! 

Mr.  T.  J.  Ballard  and  his  family,  of  the  Missionaries'  Home,  received 
us  kindly,  and  we  felt  quite  at  home  there,  not  only  because  of  this,  but 
also  because  my  uncle,  Dr.  Farnham,  had  found  this  a  resting-place  on 
a  vacation  from  his  work  in  Shanghai.  Mr.  Ballard  is  an  Englishman, 
and  although  he  has  spent  much  time  in  China,  he  understands  the 
inhabitants  of  Nippon. 

The  work  of  Dr.  Lambuth,who  came  here  from  China,  has  been  quite 
remarkable  ;  he  has  been  here  four  years,  and  in  that  time  has  added  four 
hundred  members  to  his  church  ;  beginning  with  four  helpers,  he  now  has 
twenty-one  foreign  workers.  Praise  God  for  such  a  victory  ! 

I  was- sorry  to  learn  that  my  old  friend,  Capt.  Merriman,  from  Maine,  had 
just  sailed  from  Hyogo  for  San  Francisco.  All  about  here,  as  elsewhere  in 
Japan,  are  temples  and  shrines  dotted  over  the  hillsides,  in  quiet  valleys, 
beside  the  sea,  and  everywhere  you  turn  stands  the  tori-i ;  if  you  pass 
through  it  and  follow  the  path,  you  will  find  a  shrine.  Inside  and  by  the 
way  there  are  images  of  stone  and  wood,  while  some  of  the  more  preten- 
tious temples  of  the  cities  have  numerous  and  costly  idols.  One  temple 
in  Kyoto  has  thirty  thousand  gods  in  it;  and  one  temple  now  being  con- 
structed is  to  cost  five  million  dollars,  yet  the  common  people  whose  offer- 
ings build  it,  are  in  poverty.  They  bring  jewels,  money,  wood  for  the 


40 


IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


building,  and  human  hair  for  cables.  In  one  temple  in  Kyoto,  there  are 
twenty-four  coils  of  rope,  perhaps  four  inches  thick,  made  of  human  hair 
presented  by  the  faithful.  Enough  for  twenty-nine  others  was  brought, 
which  have  been  worn  out  in  use.  Those  remaining  are  4428  feet  long, 
and  weigh  11,567  pounds.  Think  of  this,  you  who  have  believed  that 
idolatry  was  waning  and  temples  crumbling, —  you  who  withhold  your 
offerings  from  the  true  God  ! 


TORI-I  AND  SHRINE. 

Behind  the  town  of  Kobe,  above  the  beautiful  water-falls  —  one  forty- 
two  and  one  half  feet  and  the  other  eighty-three  and  one  half  feet  —  2490 
feet  up,  is  the  Maya  San  (  Moon  Temple),  to  which  many  worshipers  love 
to  climb.  The  population  of  Kobe  is  130,000,  including  natives  and  Euro- 
peans, there  being  some  six  hundred  of  the  latter. 

THE  INLAND  SEA. 

The  Inland  Sea  can  hardly  be  described.  The  channel  twists  about 
among  beautiful  islands,  which  present  to  the  view  hills  pushed  up  out  of 
the  sea  by  volcanic  action  in  years  agone,  and  now  covered  with  feathery 
bamboos,  stunted  pines,  or  rice  terraces ;  sunny  vales  sloping  seaward, 


NIPPON.  41 

with  orchards  of  oranges  or  persimmons,  and  ending  with  a  fishermen's 
village  or  a  sandy  shore.  Fishing-junks  are  all  about ;  for  a  great  variety 
of  fish  abound  in  the  waters  about  Japan,  Nagasaki  being  one  of  the 
best  fishing  ports  in  the  world.  Fishing  and  fanning  are  the  chief  indus- 
tries of  the  forty  million  people  of  this  country,  most  of  whom  live  in  a 
very  humble  way. 

SHIMONOSEKI. 

We  reached  this  place  at  midnight,  after  stemming  some  strong  cur- 
rents in  narrow  straits.  Our  "siren  whistle"  informed  the  coal  heavers 
that  we  had  come  for  our  three  hundred  tons  of  coal,  and  us  that  the 
goddess  of  sleep  has  gone  ashore,  to  find  some  quiet  bower  among  loquats 
and  feathery  bamboos.  But  here  they  come, —  the  coal  junks, —  the 
center  piled  high  with  some  of  the  best  coal  in  the  world,  and  the  heavers 
perched  upon  the  sides  like  a  flock  of  vultures.  There  are  both  men 
and  women,  clothed  with  short,  dirty  tunics,  all  jabbering,  and  each  hold- 
ing a  basket  by  which  the  coal  is  transferred.  How  my  heart  went  out  to 
these  poor,  half-civilized  creatures  !  and  how  plainly  I  saw  that  the  phys- 
ical condition  of  a  people  depends  very  largely  upon  their  religion ! 
They  are  very  superstitious.  Some  natives  came  aboard  with  crabs  for 
sale;  they  said  the  marks  of  a  human  face  were  upon  the  backs  of  the  little 
creatures.  The  legend  runs  that  the  princess  of  Japan  once  conquered 
Korea,  and  that  her  son  went  into  a  mountain,  and,  Alexander-like, 
wept  because  there  were  no  other  countries  for  him  to  conquer.  Then 
tying  a  stone  about  his  neck,  he  jumped  into  the  sea ;  so  the  crabs  hereabout 
are  said  to  bear  the  impression  of  his  face  on  their  backs.  These  simple 
folk  do  not  know  that  crabs  in  America  look  just  the  same. 

Only  three  foreigners  live  here  among  the  twenty-five  thousand  peo- 
ple,—  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holsey  and  their  child,  of  the  Baptist  mission, —  and 
although  this  is  not  a  treaty  port,  these  missionaries  are  slowly  accomplish- 
ing much  good  for  the  people. 

NAGASAKI. 

We  proceeded  to  Nagasaki,  Monday,  November  24,  almost  sorry  to 
leave  the  beautiful  Inland  Sea.  Our  last  day  among  its  picturesque  islands 
and  barren  rocks  was  rendered  the  more  delightful  by  unruffled  waters  and 


42  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

serene  skies  ;  and  the  beauty  of  the  heavens  when  the  sun  dropped  into 
the  Yellow  Sea,  leaving  a  sky  of  amber  and  violet,  changing  into  crimson, 
gold,  and  cerulean,  with  amber  and  purple  clouds,  was  beyond  the  power 
of  words  to  describe.  Our  attention  was  soon  called  to  a  magnificent 
phosphorescent  display  in  the  water,  as  between  seven  and  eight  o'clock 
we  sailed  by  the  historic  Pappenberg,  into  the  loveliest  harbor  in  the  world. 
On  all  sides,  hills  rise  to  the  sky,  forming  so  complete  a  basin  that  we 
could  hardly  see  how  we  had  found  an  entrance.  Lights  flashed  from 
the  ships  at  anchor,  and  from  the  city  and  scattered  villages  ;  and  we 
seemed  to  be  afloat  in  a  monstrous,  half-filled  dish,  ornamented  with  trop- 
ical scenery  and  brilliants. 

Nagasaki  is  a  treaty  port,  the  nearest  one  to  China,  and  contains  about 
sixty  thousand  people.  Its  mission  history  is  the  most  remarkable  of 
any  in  Japan.  Francis  Xavier,  with  his  wonderful  zeal  and  magnetic 
power,  established  a  mission  here  in  the  sixteenth  century;  but  very 
soon  the  spirit  which  has  always  characterized  the  Jesuits  showed  itself. 
The  Japanese  feared  that  the  conversion  of  their  people  meant  the  conquest 
of  their  country,  and  with  a  mighty  determination  they  rose  up  in  a  spirit 
of  self-defense  and  put  an  end  to  their  Catholic  evangelizers  by  violence. 
From  valley  to  hilltop  the  company  of  native  martyrs  were  pursued  three 
hundred  years  ago,  until  from  the  summit  of  the  Pappenberg  they  were 
flung  into  the  sea.  One  of  the  older  missionaries  told  us  that  twenty-one 
years  ago  he  saw  hundreds  massacred  in  Deshima,  a  little  island  village  at 
the  head  of  the  bay,  and  in  plain  view  of  the  town.  The  past  has  made 
the  present  harder  for  the  missionaries,  but  they  have  good  courage,  and 
their  work,  especially  that  of  their  schools,  is  prospering. 

Sunday  morning  I  went  ashore  to  church,  in  one  of  the  clean,  gondola-like 
sampans  peculiar  to  this  port  —  perhaps  patterned  after  a  relic  of  Italy's 
industry  of  three  hundred  years  ago.  Who  can  describe  this  hillside  ?  A 
few  hotels,  banking-houses,  a  custom-house,  and  a  post-office  are  upon  the 
Bund,  all  built  of  substantial  material  ;  the  consulates,  distinguished  by 
the  national  flag,  are  somewhat  more  pretentious  than  the  native  homes. 
We  must  climb  (and  who  could  not?)  among  bungalows  in  fairy  gardens, 
over  rustic  bridges,  along  half-paved  ways  filled  in  with  moss,  and  lined 
with  blooming  hedges  or  over-arched  with  the  waving  feathers  of  slender 


NIPPON.  43 

bamboo  ;  up  winding,  time-worn,  stone  steps  a  hundred  deep,  which  look 
as  though  arranged  half  by  nature  in  some  far-off  time,  stopping  anon  to 
look  over  the  tiles  and  trees  to  the  bay  with  its  ships,  and  to  the  hills  be- 
yond. At  length  we  found  ourselves  in  the  rear  of  an  English  church 
clinging  to  the  hillside  like  a  bank-swallow. 

The  sermon,  by  one  of  the  teachers  in  the  Presbyterian  school,  told  so 
much  of  the  condition  of  Japan  that  I  venture  to  reproduce  the  substance 
of  some  of  it.  His  text  was  John  7  :  16,  17,  and  he  admirably  paved  the 
way  to  emphasize  the  authority  of  his  work  in  Japan,  by  declaring  that 
Jesus  was  a  teacher,  taught  not  in  the  schools,  but  of  God.  He  taught  that 
he  was  the  Messiah,  and  that  he  was  to  be  believed.  Jesus  showed  his 
credentials,  and  invited  the  people  to  test  them.  His  religion  was  tried  per- 
sonal experience  as  truly  as  love  is  tested  by  experience.  The  preacher's 
authority,  he  said,  consisted  in  his  fidelity  in  holding  up  this  same  Christ, 
and  saying  to  the  people,  "Let  us  try  Him."  He  asked  for  faith  and 
obedience,  declaring  that  theories  fail  ;  he  called  attention  to  the  fact  that 
Japan,  in  common  with  old  Rome,  has  believed  that  all  good  comes  from 
knowledge,  and  for  about  twenty  years  has  tried  to  change  Japanese  char- 
acter by  Western  schools.  She  has  also  introduced  the  philosophy  of 
Confucius  and  moral  science,  but  is  disappointed  in  them  all.  She 
is  beginning  to  see  that  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  is  not  in  profession 
but  in  change  of  character,  and  that  this  is  the  only  hope  of  her  people. 

The  sermon  came  like  a  benediction,  after  my  varied  experience  in  try- 
ing to  measure  the  outlook.  Awhile  I  sat  in  meditation,  gazing  out  through 
the  plain  glass  window  before  me,  more  beautiful  to  me  that  day  than  the 
finest  cathedral  design  of  Munich  ;  for  just  outside  a  feathery  bamboo 
threw  its  branches  across  the  clear  panes  ;  magnolias  and  loquats  gently 
dipped  their  leaves  to  the  flecking  light  ;  between  and  beyond,  the  blue 
bay  lifted  its  sheeny  breast ;  and  still  beyond,  the  hills,  over  which  the 
early  Christians  were  pursued  to  Pappenberg,  stretched  away,  clasped  in 
each  other's  arms.  To-day  serenity  rested  down  upon  the  whole  scene  and 
upon  myself  ;  for  had  not  the  preacher  just  told  us  that  Japan  is  awaken- 
ing to  a  sense  of  her  real  need  ? 

Thank  God  there  shines  through  all  these  scenes  the  light  of  the  gos- 
pel !  May  its  brightness  increase  !  In  quiet  mood  I  threaded  my  way 


44  IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 

through  this  labyrinth  of  enchantment,  back  to  the  Ha-to-ba,  and  the  Kobe 
Maru,  to  sail  out  in  the  afterglow, — past  Pappenberg  with  its  summit  a  hun- 
dred feet  high,  crested  with  a  few  stunted  pines  —  into  the  Yellow  Sea  ;  and 
with  eyes  fixed  upon  the  last  receding  headland  of  Nippon,  under  the 
btars,  to  send  back  by  the  vesper  zephyrs  my  tender — 

"SAYONARA." 


HOMMOKO. 


CHAPTER  V. 


A  TRACTABLE  PEOPLE  WHOSE  AlflS  ARE  TOO  LOW. 


S  we  leave  Japan,  we  must 
form  our  humble  conclu- 
sions concerning  what  we 
have  seen  and  heard.  The 
general  aspect  of  the  coun- 
try is  exceedingly  novel 
to  us,  partly  because  it 
differs  so  much  from  our 
own  land.  The  homes  and 
gardens  of  the  people  make 
it  more  so.  The  houses 
are  usually  of  bamboo  or 
light  wood,  straw-thatched 

or  tiled,  separated  into  compartments  by  paper  partitions,  and  entered  by 
sliding  doors.  Delicate  straw  matting  covers  the  floors.  Gardens  are 
miniature  landscapes,  suggesting  most  beautiful  scenery,  with  bridges, 
ponds,  summer-houses,  lanterns,  and  dwarf  trees,  six  or  eight  inches 
high  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  years  old,  or,  if  a  foot  high, 
five  hundred  years  old.  These  are  not  only  in  the  gardens,  but  are  also 
used  for  dining-  and  drawing-room  ornaments.  The  land  is  free  from 
weeds,  and  carefully  cultivated,  every  crop  but  rice  being  planted  in 
straight  rows.  Men  and  women  both  work  in  the  field,  their  chief  agricul- 
tural implement  being  the  bog  hoe,  the  blade  of  which  is  four  inches  wide. 

[45] 


SHIBA  TEMPLE. 


46  IN   THE  PATH  Of  LIGHT. 

From  the  blind  massage  operators,  who  blow  a  double  whistle  and 
make  a  doleful  cry  in  the  streets  at  night,  to  the  highest  official  whom-  you 
meet,  you  will  find  politeness  of  the  rarest  sort. 

Men  and  women  appear  everywhere  in  the  common  affairs  of  life  on 
equal  terms.  In  the  home  the  family  seems  happy  ;  indeed,  the  people 
are  happy  in  disposition.  The  Japanese  child  with  toeless  sandals  engages 
as  joyfully  and  successfully  in  hop-scotch  as  her  Eurasian  competitor  with 
American  boots.  The  coolies,  with  muscles  of  steel,  naked  and  perspiring, 
take  a  load  which  we  would  relegate  to  a  horse,  and  cheer  one  another 
when  climbing  a  hill  by  alternating  their  "hi,"  "ya,"  "ho;"  even  the 
funeral  procession,  with  its  black  and  white  streamers  and  white  car 
borne  on  men's  shoulders,  does  not  appear  sad. 

The  people  are  plucky  and  ambitious.  This  is  manifest  in  the  jin- 
rikisha  man,  who  often  falls  breathless  and  unconscious  rather  than  give 
up.  The  doctors  tell  us  that  the  mortality  among  this  class  from  heart  dis- 
ease is  heavy.  Pluck  is  often  manifest  in  the  police.  Two  of  these  little 
fellows  have  been  seen  to  arrest  a  churlish  British  soldier  in  the  street  of 
an  open  port,  and  bring  him  to  terms  and  to  the  station.  The  national 
weapon  is  the  short  sword.  The  Japanese  have,  in  the  present  war  with 
China,  demonstrated  to  the  world  the  fact  that  they  are  plucky  ;  but  their 
victory  over  China  proves  nothing  as  to  their  strength  compared  with  civil- 
ized and  progressive  nations.  Their  vigor  of  intellect  is  not  equal  to  that 
of  the  Chinese  or  of  the  Anglican.  They  have  shrewdness  but  not  logic, 
and  in  international  matters  would  fall  behind  Western  nations  in  diplo- 
macy. The  Chinamen  monopolize  the  banking  operations  in  most  of  the 
bazaars  of  the  open  ports.  Money  is  not  plenty,  and  the  credit  of  the 
country  is  not  large. 

I  believe  that  the  moral  standard  of  the  people  is  low.  Bawdy-houses 
are  licensed  and  inspected  by  the  government.  Street  after  street  in 
Yokohama  is  devoted  to  these  entirely,  and  they  are  among  the  finest- 
looking  native  houses  in  the  city.  A  lattice  usually  incloses  a  corner 
or  portion  of  these  houses  toward  the  street,  inside  of  which  the  girls  sit 
in  a  row  upon  a  raised  platform.  Decked  in  their  jewels  and  finery,  they 
sit  there  until  called  out  one  by  one.  The  sight  was  to  us  a  most  revolt- 
ing one,  and  we  were  told  that  in  Yokohama  alone,  there  were  four  thou- 


A    TRACTABLE  PEOPLE. 


47 


sand  of  these  girls  licensed  to  this  hellish  existence.  We  were  also 
told  that  it  was  not  regarded  as  dishonorable  for  a  girl  to  resort  to 
prostitution  for  the  means  to  support  her  friends.  I  was  led  to  believe 
that  many  travelers  t6  Japan  leave  their  morals  behind  them.  I  had  been 
in  my  hotel  scarcely  an  hour  when  a  peddler,  professedly  with  curios, 
came  to  my  room,  and  very  soon  turned  his  panorama  into  an  exhibit 
of  lewd  pictures.  I  am  confident  that  if  I  had  allowed  him  to  go  on, 


MRS.  L.  A.  PIERSON'S  BIBLE  Wi 


he  would  have  revealed  himself  to  be  an  agent  for  some  immoral  house ; 
and   these  things  are  done  in  an  innocent  spirit,   apparently. 

The  political  aspect  of  the  country  has  been  undergoing  a  change 
during  the  last  quarter  of  a  century,  in  which  time  the  government  has 
changed  from  a  feudal  system  to  a  constitutional  monarchy.  Formerly 
the  Shoguns  and  Daimios  possessed  the  land  and  controlled  the  people, 
flattering  the  secluded  Mikado  that  he  was  only  an  object  of  veneration ; 


48 


IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


THE  MIKADO. 


but  now  the  Mikado  takes  the  reins  of  government,  and  lets  the  late  lords 
live  in  obscurity,  sell  their  family  heirlooms  as  a  means  of  subsistence, 
and  worship  something  else. 

The  students  at  home  and  those  who  have  traveled  and  studied  in  America 
and  Europe  have  progressive  ideas.  They 
clamored  for  the  people  to  have  a  voice  in 
the  government,  and  ten  years  ago  the  Mikado 
promised  this ;  eighteen  months  ago  he  pro- 
mulgated a  constitution  for  the  people.  They 
have  had  their  election,  and  now  their  repre- 
sentatives form  what  is  called  a  Diet,  quite 
like  our  House  and  Senate.  On  November  25 
they  have  their  first  session,  and  it  is  a  note- 
worthy fact  that  there  were  sixteen  native  Chris- 
tians among  them  in  1890. 

One  of  the  dangers  of  Japan  is  her  fickle- 
ness ;  she  tires  of  things,  and  wants  a  change. 
Another  danger  is  her  readiness  to  receive  the 

customs  and  spirit  of  other  people.  In  habits  of  life,  institutions,  and 
politics,  she  readily  accepts  much  from  America  and  more  from  the  con- 
tinent of  Europe.  She  insists  in  setting  these  innovations  down  at  home, 
forgetting  that  to  benefit  her  people,  customs,  like  food,  must  be  assimi- 
lated, and  become  a  part  of  themselves.  There  is  danger  that,  like 
their  ,satsuma,  these  things  will  become  to  them  only  decorations,  and 
that  'they,  losing  their  own  individuality,  will  drift  into  confusion. 

To  me  this  is  obvious  in  the  work  of  education  and  religion.  Japan 
was  eager  twenty  years  ago  to  be  like  Western  people.  Thinking  that  she 
would  be  if  she  adopted  their  dress,  machinery,  politics,  and  schools; 
she  sent  to  America  for  teachers  to  go  into  government  schools.  Mission 
societies  thought  it  providential,  and  sent  missionary  teachers.  The  aim 
was  too  low.  Teaching,  and  not  evangelization,  had  its  own  fruit ;  and  I 
may  say  here  that  I  solemnly  deprecate  on  the  part  of  a  Christian  people, 
the  education  of  the  idolatrous,  apart  from  their  evangelization.  That 
education  is  a  power  for  evil  as  well  as  for  good,  both  Japan  and  India  are 
learning,  when  boys  get  an  education  only  to  be  qualified  for  business, 


A    TRACTABLE  PEOPLE.  49 

and  girls  simply  to  become  better  qualified  for  intimate  relations  with 
foreign  men.  Japan  is  indeed  finding  out  that  the  school  system  of  the 
Occident  is  not  supplying  her  need.  Decoration  of  character  does  not 
really  better  it  any  more  now  than  in  Christ's  time.  The  Japanese,  as  well 
as  the  Israelites,  will  fail  of  perfection  on  that  plan.  There  must  be  a 
transformation.  To  lay  great  stress  on  what  have  been  called  ''entering 
wedges,"  and  stop  there, —  to  allow  these  "entering  wedges"  to  be  ends 
and  not  means, —  has  been  to  fall  short  of  the  mark.  To  say  that  Japan 
is  likely  to  become  a  Christian  nation  suddenly  by  an  edict  of  the  mikado, 
is  unreasonably  enthusiastic.  A  nation  is  not  made  Christian  by  a  procla- 
mation, or  development  through  civilization.  Constantine  tried  the  former, 
and  failed  ;  Hans  Egede,  a  noble  missionary  from  Denmark  to  Greenland, 
tried  the  latter  for  fifteen  years,  but  saw  no  fruit,  and  left  the  field,  sadly 
disappointed,  while  John  Beck,  his  successor,  had  remarkable  success  by 
working  only  at  evangelization.  Bishop  Colenso  tried  civilizing  some 
Zulus  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and  admitted  that  it  was  not  a  success. 

Professor  Drummond  in  one  of  his  lectures  says:  "To  secure  ten 
men  of  an  improved  type  would  be  better  than  if  we  had  ten  thousand 
more  of  the  average  Christian  distributed  all  over  the  world."  In  an- 
other lecture  he  says  :  "  No  organic  change,  no  modification  of  environ- 
ment, no  mental  energy,  no  moral  effort,  no  evolution  of  character,  no 
progress  of  civilization,  can  endow  any  single  human  soul  with  the  attribute 
of  spiritual  life.  The  spiritual  world  is  guarded  from  the  world  next  in 
order  beneath  it  by  a  law  of  biogenesis  :  '  Except  a  man  be  born  again, 
.  .  .  except  a  man  be  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  God.'"  This  is  the  teaching  of  both  Scripture  and 
experience.  The  history  of  missions  everywhere  proves  that  nothing  but 
Christ  in  the  life  transforms  permanently,  and  produces  Christ-likeness. 
A  few  Christians  in  Japan,  of  the  real  type,  are  better  than  the  whole 
nation  only  nominally  Christian.  Japan  will  become  a  Christian  nation 
only  as  one  by  one  the  people  are  convicted  of  sin,  and  repent  and  accept 
the  one  true  God  through  Jesus  Christ.  She  must  begin  a-b  initio. 

This  genuine  and  much-desired  work  will  be  hindered  every  time  a 
native  comes  to  a  Christian  country,  and  finds  the  standard  lower  than 
the  one  which  the  most  spiritual  missionary  holds  up  to  him  in  his 

4 


50 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


own  land ;  every  time  a  foreigner  goes  there  leaving  morality  and 
integrity  at  home ;  every  time  the  missionary  fails  of  a  high  spiritual 
standard  in  the  work  which  he  presents.  It  may  furthermore  be  remem- 
bered that  although  a  great  deed  was  done  when,  in  1854,  Commodore 
Perry  opened  treaty  relations  with  Japan,  there  were  only  a  few  treaty 
ports, — seven  or  nine, —  and  to  the  other  places  missionaries  could 
go  only  on  travelers'  passports,  frequently  renewed,  or  remain  on  pass- 
port as  teachers —  not  preachers.  The  recent  treaty  between  the  United 
States  and  Japan,  in  which  protection  is  promised  to  Christian  preachers 
in  all  parts  of  the  country,  will  promote  a  general  diffusion  of  the  gospel 
there.  The  two  religions  of  Japan  —  Buddhism  and  Shintoism  —  have  a 
strong  hold  upon  the  people;  and  strange  to  say,  the  ranks  are  most 
unbroken  among  the  lower  classes,  perhaps  because  there  has  not  been  any 
great  effort  to  reach  them.  Out  of  the  forty  million  people,  Christianity 
claims  between  thirty  and  forty  thousand  only,  but  we  believe  the  speedy 
evangelization  of  that  people  possible  ;  though  it  will  come  only  when  the 
deep  spiritual  life  of  the  church  convinces  them  that  they  must  be  born 
again,  and  that  the  religion  which  we  represent  makes  better  lives  than 
that  to  which  they  are  devoted. 


FUJIYAMA. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


THE   LAND   OF   CONFUCIUS. 


GRAVE-YARD  NEAR  SHANGHAI. 


SHANGHAI. 

(1T)ERHAPS  there  might  be  some  ques- 
J  tion  as  to  exactly  where  the  land  of 
Confucius  is,  since  the  Chinese  are  in  al- 
most every  land  ;  but  without  doubt  no 
land  is  so  Chinese  as  China.  It  is  the 

hot-bed  of  egotism,  poverty  among  the  lower  class,  bad  odors,  and  impu- 
dence. Galatians  6  :  3  describes  them  fully  from  a  moral  and  religious 
standpoint.  We  reached  Shanghai  Tuesday,  November  25,  after  a  delight- 
ful sail  across  the  Yellow  Sea  and  up  the  Yang-tse  and  Wangpoo  rivers. 
On  the  sea  we  met  a  fishing-boat  which  had  been  without  water  for  two 
days.  What  a  hard-looking  set  the  men  were  !  and  how  eagerly  they 
drank  the  water  that  our  steward  gave  them  !  Ah,  I  thought,  if  they  would 
only  take  the  water  of  life  as  eagerly,  how  freely  they  might  have  it  !  but 
they  could  not  understand  us,  and  they  pushed  their  boat  away,  and  we 
went  on,  to  meet  no  more  in  time.  God  help  them  !  Towards  its  mouth 
the  Yang-tse-Kiang  varies  in  width  from  sixty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles.  The  water  is  thick  and  dark  yellow  with  the  wash  from  the  soil  a 
hundred  miles  out  to  sea,  and  as  far  south  as  Hong-Kong.  We  came  into 


52  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

this  swash  in  the  night.  The  morning  is  foggy ;  now  and  then  we  see  a 
junk,  with  its  eye ;  for  the  Chinaman  says,  "No  got  eye,  how  can  walkee ?  " 
As  the  sky  clears,  low  on  the  western  horizon  a  dim  line  tells  us  that  the 
flat  lowlands  of  China —  so  different  from  our  first  view  of  Japan's  serrated 
hills  —  are  in  sight. 

At  the  junction  of  the  Yang-tse  and  the  Wongpoo  rivers  is  the  village  of 
Woo  Sung,  where  an  adobe  fortification  rises,  and  runs  along  three  quarters 
of  a  mile.  Here  are  a  few  old  war-junks,  gaily  painted  but  not  formidable, 
although  the  dragons  on  their  prows  are  showing  their  teeth  and  their 
"eye."  We  wait  for  the  tide  to  rise  sufficiently  for  us  to  cross  the  bar. 
We  are  glad  to  learn  that  our  position  in  crossing  has  been  designated  by 
engineers,  else  we  should  have  felt,  when  our  pilot  sighted  from  landmark 
to  landmark,  that  we  were  to  take  a  short  cut  for  Hong-kong  across  the 
marsh.  Little  huts  jut  into  the  river  on  stilts  here  and  there.  What  are 
they  for?  Presently  a  human  being  comes  out  of  the  door  of  one  of  them, 
and  elevates  a  huge  net  by  a  rope  over  a  pulley ;  there  is  nothing  in  it,  and  he 
goes  back  to  rest  awhile  and  smoke.  He  is  a  fisherman  ;  by  the  way,  I 
saw  many  of  these  "fishing  tackles."  but  never  saw  any  fish  in  them. 
What  are  those  mounds  of  various  sizes  scattered  in  all  directions?  —  A 
gentleman  standing  by  says  they  are  graves.  Some  are  ten  feet  high,  and 
large  enough  to  hold  half-a-dozen  coffins ;  most  of  them  are  smaller,  and  con- 
tain only  one.  Here  and  there  caskets  lie  out,  covered  only  with  matting  ; 
occasionally  one  is  open,  with  a  portion  of  a  limb  hanging  out  which  has 
been  left  by  the  dogs.  The  Chinese  worship  their  ancestors  ;  but  they  are 
not  over-careful  in  regard  to  their  bodies  ;  frequently  leaving  them  upon  the 
ground  unburied.  For  miles  around  large  cities  there  are  millions  of  these 
mounds,  some  of  them  emitting  the  most  nauseating  and  malaria-breeding 
odors.  It  is  often  a  godsend  to  the  country  when  the  rivers  overflow 
their  banks,  although  many  bodies  which  have  a  fair  amount  of  earth 
upon  them  are  swept  away  with  those  more  exposed. 

We  wind  up  the  river  for  twelve  miles,  passing  Goff  Island — all  of 
which  has  been  formed  during  the  last  twenty-five  years ;  the  Point  Hotel ; 
the  Shanghai  cotton-mill,  the  first  cotton-mill  in  China,  and  superintended 
by  Mr.  Danforth,  formerly  of  Lowell,  Mass.  We  also  pass  a  dry-dock,  a 
silk-filature,  a  paper-mill,  the  empire  brewery,  the  water-works  ;  and  then  we 


THE  LAND    OF   CONFUCIUS. 


53 


come  to  our  dock  at  Shanghai,   which   has  seemed  more  and  more  like  a 
southern  approach  to  Chicago. 

The  dock  is  finely  arranged  for  landing  ;  but  what  a  babel  of  voices  !  What 
a  crowd  of  Celestials,  with  flopping  queues,  blue-drilling  tunics,  and  short 
flowing  pants  of  the  same  material,  ready  to  take  us  and  our  luggage  in  a 
jinrikisha  (they  say  "  rickshaw  "  or  "  shaw  ")  or  a  wheelbarrow.  I  ex- 
pected to  meet  my  uncle,  J.  M.  W.  Farnham,  D.  D.,  but  waiting  some 
time  in  the  rain,  and  concluding  that  he  had  failed  to  get  my  last  letter, 
we  decided  to  go  in  search  of  him,  little  knowing  how  indispensable  a  com- 


BUND,    FROM   THE   RlVER. 

prador  is  in  China.  So  we  said  good-by  to  Captain  Haswell ;  to  Mr. 
Devenish,  the  first  officer,  to  whom  we  became  much  attached  on  account 
of  his  genuine  manhood  ;  to  our  steward  ;  and  committed  our  luggage  to  a 
wheelbarrow-man  and  ourselves  to  two  "rickshaw"  men,  who  nodded  to 
every  inquiry  and  especially  when  asked  if  they  would  take  us  to  36 
Broadway.  Of  course  they  knew  all  about  it,  and  with  great  composure 
we  rested  in  our  easy  vehicles  as  our  steeds  pranced  down  the  Bund  with 
long  strides,  their  hirsute  appendages  flopping  over  their  backs,  while  the 
wheelbarrow  always  managed  to  keep  in  sight. 

We  turned  to  right,  we  turned  to  left,  but  on  we  went,  halting  at  length 
at  a  canal  crossing.      What  they  were  going  to  do  with  us  was  hard  to  tell ; 


54 


IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


they  succeeded,  however,  in  getting  my  companion  out  of  his  "rickshaw," 
but  he  declined  to  get  into  another  made  ready  for  him.  Then  followed  a 
long  discussion  by  two  parties,  neither  of  whom  knew  what  the  other  said. 
There  was  at  last  a  general  understanding,  however,  —  which  was  reached 
in  some  way,  — that  we  would  go  on.  So  we  proceeded,  I  as  before,  while 
Mr.  Sandford  walked  in  the  middle  of  the  street,  followed  closely  by  an 
empty  "rickshaw,"  whose  ferocious  steed  jabbered  incessantly  on  a  high 
pitch.  The  wheelbarrow  and  luggage  were  ahead  long  since,  going,  we 


DR.  AND  MRS.  J.  M.  W.  FARNHAM. 

knew  not  where.  At  length  we  overtook  it  in  the  French  quarter,  and 
stopping  at  the  "  Hotel  de  Colonies,"  found  that  we  had  come  a  long  dis- 
tance in  an  opposite  direction  from  36  Broadway.  Courage  stood  by  us, 
and  after  much  use  of  our  eyes  and  tongues,  and  with  great  thankfulness 
that  several  hours  of  daylight  were  before  us,  we  reached  36  Broadway,  Mr. 
Sandford  walking  all  the  way,  with  an  eye  out,  lest  his  jabbering  "rick- 
shaw "  man  should  get  too  near. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Farnham  were  upon  the  veranda,  very  much  agitated  ; 
they  did  not  expect  our  arrival  so  early  in  the  day,  but  had  been  to  the 
ship  twice,  and  were  upon  the  point  of  starting  in  search  of  us  again. 


THE  LAND    OF   CONFUCIUS.  55 

They  welcomed  us  to  their  home  and  did  all  in  their  kind  hearts  possible 
to  make  our  stay  pleasant  and  profitable  When  explanations  were  made, 
we  learned  that  the  first  "rickshaw"  man  had  no  license  to  cross  the 
canal,  andvhonestly  made  the  exchange  for  our  good,  following  us  only 
to  get  the  money  that  he  had  earned.  How  easy  to  misunderstand  the 
motives  of  others  as  well  as  their  language !  Dr.  and'Mrs.  Farnham  have 
been  in  Shanghai  over  thirty  years.  At  first  they  were  located  at  the  South 
Gate,  then  had  charge  of  the  press,  and  now  are  in  the  northern  part  of 


SHANGHAI  —  STREET  IN  FOREIGN  CITY. 

the  city.  They  are  in  the  Presbyterian  Mission.  Dr.  Farnham  started 
the  Child's  Paper,  which  he  now  edits  and  manages.  How  delightful  it 
was  to  stop  with  old  friends  in  this  far-off  land,  and  especially  to  have 
on  the  next  day  after  arrival  (November  25  )  a  real  Thanksgiving  dinner  ! 
When  Dr.  Farnham's  three  daughters,  with  their  husbands  and  children, 
gathered  about  the  dinner  table,  our  hearts  beat  thankfully  for  this  home 
custom  in  a  strange  land ;  but  nothing  could  check  a  deeper  throbbing 
when  we  thought  of  the  dear  ones  on  the  other  side  of  the  world,  whose 
thoughts  were  doubtless  of  us. 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


THE  PEOPLE  AND  THE  WORK. 

How  to  learn  most  about  the  people  and  the  progress  of  missions  here 
in  our  limited  time  was  the  question.  We  must  have  plenty  of  time  to 
go  over  our  field  in  India;  and  though  we  should  spend  several  weeks 
here,  we  could  see  but  a  limited  part  of  this  great  empire.  But  all  the 
missionaries  were  ready  to  help  us,  and  it  was  easy  to  meet  representatives 
of  many  of  the  Societies,  some  having  a  station  or  headquarters  here, 
while  others  make  it  a  way-place.  The  natural  genius  of  a  place  and 

people  is  the  first 
thing  that  strikes  us, 
and  China  is  differ- 
ent from  anything 
that  we  have  seen 
before. 

Shanghai  is  about 
thirty  miles  from  the 
coast,  twelve  miles 
up  the  Wong-poo,  a 
branch  of  the  Yang- 
tse-Kiang.  The  city 
is  divided  into  two 
parts,  the  native  city 
and  the'  settlement. 
In  the  latter  there 
are  numerous  canals, 
with  numberless  boats  and  shipping;  macadamized  streets,  lighted  by 
gas  and  electricity ;  fine  buildings,  especially  on  the  Bund,  which  skirts 
the  river;  churches,  banking-houses,  stores,  and  hotels.  The  settlement 
has  its  American,  English,  French,  and  native  quarters,  with  the  English 
superior  in  nearly  every  respect.  We  are  finding  that,  when  England 
colonizes,  she  does  it  in  a  generous  and  substantial  manner.  The  Bund, 
with  its  river-front  bustling  with  business  and  alive  with  shipping,  its  fine 
business  houses,  smooth  pavements  ever  filled  with  a  hurrying  throng,  its 
green  mall  with  flower  beds  and  band-stand,  its  Union  church  close  by, 
and  substantial  bridges,  would  be  an  ornament  to  any  American  city. 


SOUTH  GATE. 


THE  LAND    OF   CONFUCIUS.  57 

The  native  city  is  surrounded  by  a  wall  three  miles  in  circumference, 
twenty-five  feet  high,  and  fifteen  or  twenty  in  thickness,  surmounted  by  a 
parapet  with  mounted  guns  ;  but  neither  the  walls  nor  the  guns  would  amount 
to  much  in  modern  warfare.  The  city  is  entered  by  gateways,  there  being  two 
on  each  side  excepting  the  west  side,  where  there  is  only  one.  The  gates — 
heavy  double  doors,  thick  and  iron-bound  —  are  closed  every  night  at 
dark.  The  streets  inside  are  narrow,  some  of  them  being  simply  passages  ; 
frequently  they  are  dark  with  overhanging  buildings,  damp  and  dirty.  It  is 
nobody's  business  here  to  look  after  sanitary  conditions.  Everybody  who 
goes  through  these  narrow,  crooked,  up-and-down  streets  must  walk  or  be 
carried  in  a  palanquin.  The  shops  have  movable  doors,  and  open  into 
the  cramped  street  or  alley  ;  they  are  usually  small,  sometimes  being  little 
more  than  a  counter  having  rows  of  shelves  behind,  with  a  little  standing 
room  between  ;  and  yet  the  shopkeeper  produces  article  after  article,  as 
though  he  had  an  endless  quantity  in  some  unseen  corner.  The  shop  is 
frequently  the  front  part  of  a  dwelling,  with  direct  communication  be- 
tween. More  pretentious  homes  are  reached  through  several  courts  open- 
ing into  one  another.  The  sign  is  usually  vertical,  frequently  of  gilt  on 
black,  and  very  pretty.  Where  the  sign  is  to  attract  the  foreign  eye,  it  is 
of  this  sort,  "Ah-Pin,"  "  Ah-Sing,"  "  Ching-Fong,"  "  Shing-Woo," 
"Dung- Yen,"  "  Sung-Mon,  Japanese  Teas-hop"  (tea-shop),  "Van 
Foon,  Carp-enter  "  (carpenter),  "  Li-Tal  "(  tailor,  general  and  outfitter). 
These  we  see  in  the  settlement.  The  trade  of  Shanghai  is  more  than 
$150,000,000  annually.  The  census  of  1890  gives  the  following  account 
of  the  inhabitants  :  — 

Natives  in  the  settlement 168, 129 

Natives  in  the  French  quarters 35>  IQ6 

French 444 

Other  foreigners 3>82 1 

Natives  inside  the  walls 360,000 


Total :      567,560 

Since  about  three  fifths  of  these  are  within  a  wall  three  miles  in  cir- 
cumference, together  with  multitudes  of  stores,  manufactories,  temples, 
schools,  jails,  etc.,  it  will  be  seen  that  they  are  considerably  crowded. 


58  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

A  DAY   INSIDE  THE  WALLS. 

A  day  in  Shanghai  proper  is  a  day  of  novelty,  with  pitiful  sights  and 
bad  odors  —  odor  is  not  a  strong  enough  word  to  name  what  you  smell. 
Upon  the  wall  we  look  over  a  sea  of  house-tops,  all  appearing  much  alike. 
Here  is  a  boy  who  has  found  a  place  free  from  disturbance  to  twist  his 
silk.  It  is  attached  to  bamboo  rods  forty  feet  apart  ;  at  the  end  is  a  little 
spindle,  with  brass  ball  attached.  The  boy  sets  the  silk  twisting  by  twirling 
the  spindle  between  two  soft-cushioned  pieces  of  board.  The  position  of  the 
little  balls  shows  the  extent  of  the  twist  —  not  a  very  fast  machine  for  self- 
reliant  China.  Down  in  the  close  streets  the  people  jostle  and  push  each 
other,  pedestrians  and  palanquin  bearers,  with  the  gorgeous  vehicle  of  some 
mandarin  or  his  wife  swaying  from  side  to  side,  suspended  from  their 
shoulder  poles.  If  it  contains  a  bride,  it  is  accompanied  by  a  procession, 
headed  by  musicians  playing  a  funny  tune  on  funny  instruments  ;  and  you 
might  as  well  occupy  as  little  space  as  possible,  as  is  true  if  the  braves 
have  a  coffin  instead  of  a  palanquin,  for  they  want  all  the  room  —  in  the  for- 
mer case  on  account  of  the  swell  of  the  occasion,  and  in  the  latter  on 
account  of  the  swell  and  length  of  the  coffin,  for  these  people  think  that 
their  dead  must  have  very  large  coffins.  They  look  like  huge  logs  hol- 
lowed out. 

The  city  temple  contains  the  most  hideous  idols  and  pictures,  but  the 
worshipers  come,  exchange  their  cash  for  "money  paper"  joss  sticks,  have 
them  lighted  on  the  altar,  and  go  away  with  a  kind  of  satisfaction.  We 
noticed  only  a  few  beggars  here  until  Mrs.  Carroll,  a  lady  of  our  party 
from  Chicago,  threw  down  a  handful  of  coins  to  them,  when  immediately, 
from  every  direction,  they  swooped  down  upon  us  like  the  vultures  of 
Malabar  Hill,  actually  blockading  our  way.  They  were  ragged,  dirty, 
naked,  and  leprous.  Beggars  lie  in  the  open  spaces  where  the  sun  can 
reach  them,  some  asleep,  others  pitifully  clamoring  for  "cash  "  as  we  pass. 
Perhaps  they  have  a  few  dirty  rags  about  their  loins  ;  perhaps  they  have  a 
cloth  for  the  body  ;  and,  if  they  have  life  enough,  they  may  be  lessening 
its  weight  of  vermin  with  their  fingers.  Here  is  one  which  leprousy  has 
deprived  of  most  of  his  hair  ;  here  is  another  with  his  limbs  gashed  and 
bleeding.  The  good  missionary  beside  us  says  it  was  likely  done  this 


THE  LAXD    OF   CONFUCIUS.  59 

morning  to  create  sympathy.  At  a  street  corner  we  come  to  a  pen,  which 
they  tell  us  is  a  jail.  Inside  are  two  ugly-looking  fellows,  with  their  heads 
thrust  through  board  collars  at  least  two  feet  square,  called  cangues  ;  they 
have  placards  upon  their  backs  stating  their  offense.  They  begged  for 
cash,  saying  that  they  were  almost  starved  ;  the  government  provides  no 
food  for  the  incarcerated ;  they  must  depend  upon  their  friends,  beg,  or 
starve. 

Here  comes  a  real  Chinese  juggler.      The  people  flock  about  him,  but 
he  tells  them  to  stand  back  and  give  the  foreigners  a  chance,  for  they  have 


SCENE  IN  NATIVE  CITY. 

only  cash  while  foreigners  have  dollars.  Then  he  rolls  up  his  eyes,  in- 
vokes the  help  of  his  favorite  god  that  he  may  be  successful,  and  that  the 
audience  —  especially  the  foreign  part  of  it  —  may  be  generous  ;  then  with  a 
few  sticks,  a  fox's  tail,  and  a  piece  of  cloth,  he  furnishes  his  entertainment. 
Quickly,  as  by  magic,  he  presents  a  bowlful  of  water  with  a  crab  crawl- 
ing in  the  bottom.  This  disappears  as  mysteriously  as  it  came  ;  then  a 
bowl  is  produced  with  a  goldfish  swimming  in  it ;  then  another  appears. 
A  jar  is  filled  with  rice  and  emptied,  nobody  sees  how  ;  then  the  ground 
upon  which  this  is  done  is  cleared  of  them  all,  but  by  some  incantation 


60  IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 

with  three  balls,  all  are  brought  back  again.  Then  the  juggler  eats  fire, 
and  fans  hjmself  until  both  fire  and  smoke  rush  from  his  mouth. 

A  dentist  with  his  table  open  to  the  sky,  upon  which  are  spread 
skulls  and  bones  and  teeth  of  animals,  and  by  which  he  seats  his  patients 
and  pulls  their  painful  teeth  with  primeval  irons,  arrested  our  attention. 
We  focused  our  camera  upon  this  scene,  at  which  the  sufferer  arose  and 
shook  her  fist  at  us  ;  and  I  fear  she  would  have  used  it,  had  it  not  been 
true,  as  in  the  case  of  Lazarus  and  the  dead  rich  man,  that  a  gulf  was 
between  us.  By  the  way,  I  never  understood  as  I  do  to-day  that  part  of 
the  parable  which  relates  to  the  sores  of  Lazarus.  The  beggars,  with 
their  sores,  that  I  saw,  made  it  all  plain. 

We  saw  some  nice  silks  and  beautiful  jade-stones,  but  nothing  inside 
the  walls  pleased  us  as  did  the  Protestant  chapels  and  their  promise. 
There  are  six  of  them,  and  they  stand  like  light-houses  amid  the  blinding 
darkness.  The  most  that  can  be  done  is  with  the  children,  but  surely  that 
is  an  opportunity  which  must  not  be  slighted.  Could  we  only  get  the 
children  of  China,  we  might  say  with  certainty  what  her  future  would  be. 
O,  when  will  the  sunlight  of  God  penetrate  such  cities  as  this  ?  When 
will  these  people  become  clean  in  body  and  soul?  —  Not  until  their  preju- 
dice to  the  Purifier  is  overcome. 

LORD'S  DAY,  NOVEMBER  30. 

This  day  was  one  of  service  and  blessing.  In  the  morning  I  spoke 
at  the  Union  church  —  Rev.  Mr.  Stevenson,  pastor — from  John  12:21. 
I  believe  that  God  made  the  service  helpful.  In  the  afternoon  I  spoke 
at  a  new  mission  recently  started  by  Dr.  Farnham,  from  John  3:16.  The 
reply  of  the  native  pastor  was  both  eloquent  and  touching.  Mr.  Sandford 
and  I  sang,  "  I've  a  Message  from  the  Lord,"  and  it  was  good  to  feel  that 
the  Lord  had  given  me  a  message  for  this  people,  although  I  had  to  speak 
through  an  interpreter.  We  had  dinner  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Evans,  who,  with 
his  devoted  wife,  keeps  a  kind  of  missionaries'  home.  We  met  here  several  of 
God's  devoted  ones, —  some  who  were  in  from  their  fields  of  labor,  oth- 
ers who  had  just  landed,  and  were  soon  going  to  their  stations.  After  dinner 
we  went  to  the  Seamen's  Mission,  where  I  spoke  to  a  company  variously 
made  up.  At  six  p.  M.  Mr.  Sandford  spoke  in  the  Union  church. 


THE  LAND    OF   CONFUCIUS. 


61 


A     CHINESE     COTTON-MILL. 

It  is  like  any  other,  only  it  employs  Chinese  help  for  the  most- part, 
with  Chinese  pay.  Mr.  Danforth,  who  has  had  charge  of  its  construction 
and  operation,  very  kindly  took  us  through  it.  A  few  men  in  charge  were 
from  America.  The  cloth  looks  well,  and  Mr.  Danforth  told  us  that  some 
of  the  women  could  do  as  much  and  as  good  work  as  an  American,  and 
that  their  pay  had  recently  been  raised  to  twelve  cents  a  day.  This  is 
large  pay  for  a  common  laborer  in  China  ;  and  their  pay  is  a  fair  index  of 
the  breadth  of  their 
lives.  Mr.  Danforth 
showed  us  many 
kindnesses.  It 
seemed  sad  for  a 
man  to  spend  his 
life  in  this  land  sim- 
ply for  business. 
Every  province  in 
this  country  has  its 
own  peculiar  dia- 
lect ;  no  language  is 
universal  except  the 
Mandarin,  and  what 

.  TEA  HOUSE  AND  GARDENS. 

is    called    "pigeon 

English,"  the   latter  being  used  for  business  purposes.      Here  is  a  speci- 
men :  — 

'^More  better  no  wanchee  talkee  too  muchee  sorry  fashion.  Any  man 
live  this  side  b  'long  fool  pidgin  ;  that  man  makee  sleep,  he  all  same  have 
die.  Anything  no  b 'long  all  same  lookee  see." 

It  will  doubtless  be  of  interest  to  say  that  the  above  version  volunteered 
by  Mr.  Danforth,  is  the  first  stanza  of  the  "Psalm  of  Life." 

AN     OPIUM     DEN. 

To  say  that  opium  is  a  curse  to  China  sounds  trite  ;  but  it  is  true,  and 
ought  to  be  said  all  the  way  from  Shanghai  to  England.  In  this  land  there 


62  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

are  as  many  kinds  of  opium  houses  as  there  are  liquor  saloons  in  a  license 
city  at  home  ;  and  there  are  the  same  variety  of  accommodations  upon  the 
rivers  and  bays.  We  went  through  one  of  the  "high-toned"  dens,  a  large, 
two-storied  building,  entered  through  a  long  court  lined  with  stalls  having 
curios  and  smoking  apparatus  for  sale.  Here  and  there  men  were  dealing 
out  opium  and  pipes  as  they  were  ordered.  The  opium  smoked  is  about  the 
'consistency  of  thick  molasses,  almost  black,  and  quite  pungent.  The 
couches  were  rich,  made  of  dark  wood,  and  the  padding  covered  with  em- 
bossed leather,  the  better  ones  having  beautiful  Japanese  tiling  at  the  head. 
Large  lanterns  hung  all  about,  which  cost  the  extravagant  sum  of  four 
hundred  dollars  each.  The  upper  rooms  were  devoted  to  men  and  women 
indiscriminately,  but  were  more  like  stalls  than  rooms,  while  those  below 
were  open,  where  we  saw  smokers  in  all  stages  of  drunkenness, —  some 
with  ghastly,  staring  eyes,  and  faces  pinched  and  pallid.  If  possible,  this 
was  worse  than  the  licensed  houses  of  ill-fame  in  Japan.  The  men  and 
women  that  we  saw  here  made  us  feel  that  if  ever  the  souls  of  human  beings 
could  be  in  the  bodies  of  brutes  and  demons,  here  was  an  exhibition  of  it. 
Every  smoker  had  a  servant  to  keep  his  long-stemmed  pipe  in  order,  and 
bring  in  his  tea,  which  he  drank  at  short  intervals,  all  of  which  accom- 
modations were  furnished,  from  morning  until  eleven  p.  M.,  for  forty  cents. 
Opium  is  worse  than  liquor  ;  it  is  more  besotting  to  the  sensibilities,  the 
habit  is  far  less  easily  broken,  and  it  carries  with  it  the  same  immoralities. 

A  MISSIONARY  CENTER. 

Shanghai  is  the  great  center  of  missionary  operations  in  China.  The 
Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union  had  a  meeting  upon  the.  evening  of 
our  arrival,  where  we  met  several  missionares,  and  spoke  at  some  length 
upon  different  phases  of  the  work.  They  were  deeply  interested  to  know 
how  the  prohibitory  law  of  Maine  operated,  and  asked  many  questions  con- 
cerning it.  Its  effects  had  been  misrepresented  to  them  ;  and  this  I  found 
to  be  true  almost  everywhere.  Mrs.  Dr.  Farnham  is  president  of  this 
Union.  A  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  is  in  operation,  and  the 
question  is  in  agitation  as  to  whether  one  especially  for  native  Chris- 
tians is  expedient.  We  called  upon  Mrs.  McTarvish,  whom  we  had 


THE  LAND    OF  COXFVCIUS.  63 

known  when  she  was  getting  her  education  in  America  several  years  ago, 
a  bright  Eurasian,  and  now  the  wife  of  a  prosperous  Scotch  druggist.  In 
her  pleasant  home  and  pretty  family  she  is  faithful  to  her  Christian  pro- 
fession. 

The  Presbyterian  Church,  which  has  missions  in  many  of  the  great 
centers,  and  which  is  eminently  successful,  is  strongly  represented  here. 
Their  work  at  the  South  Gate,  formerly  conducted  by  Dr.  Farnham,  is 
now  in  the  hands  of  Rev.  J.  A.  Silsby,  who  is  soon  to  marry  Miss  Anna 
Moore,  a  very  efficient  young  woman  of  the  Christian  Alliance.  Here  are 
found  Miss  Posey  and  Miss  Cogdal,  and  a  flourishing  school  of  thirty-one 
girls  and  thirty-seven  boys.  Their  simple  lodging-rooms,  and  the  plain 
chapel  with  stone  floor,  all  clean  and  inviting,  showed  what  was  being  done 
here. 

The  large  work  of  their  printing  establishment  is  suggested  by  the  fact 
that  they  employ  about  a  hundred  hands.  Rev.  Geo.  F.  Fitch,  the  super- 
intendent, very  kindly  showed  us  through  the  establishment,  and  received 
us  into  his  home.  This  branch  is  the  Northern  ;  the  Southern  Presbyterians 
are  in  Kiang-su.  The  English  and  Canadian  branches  are  in  other  locali- 
ties ;  while  the  Irish  and  United  Presbyterians  are  to  the  extreme  north. 

The  work  of  the  Southern  Methodists  is  especially  strong  in  Shanghai 
and  vicinity.  Dr.  Lambuth,  so  successful  in  Kobe,  was  formerly  in  their 
Shanghai  work.  The  Northern  Methodists  do  an  aggressive  spiritual  work 
in  six  or  eight  stations  between  Foochow  and  Pekin. 

The  London  Missionary  Society  which  sent  out  Morrison,  has  a 
station  at  Shanghai,  and  others  at  Canton,  Pekin,  Tien  Tsin  and  Hankow. 
At  the  latter  place  is  the  Rev.  Griffith  Johns,  a  missionary  of  great  influence 
and  success,  to  whom  we  had  a  letter  of  introduction  which  limited  time 
prevented  us  from  using.  This  society  is  the  oldest  in  China,  and  it  is 
among  the  most  powerful  and  successful.  The  work  of  the  Christian 
Alliance  is  pushing  on  toward  the  interior  also. 

The  Southern  Baptists  have  a  station  at  Shanghai,  also  the  Seventh-day 
Baptists,  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  America,  the  Church  of  the 
Disciples,  the  Women's  Union  Missionary  Society  of  New  York,  and  the 
Church  Missionary  Society.  Here  also  are  Bible  Society  rooms  and  other 
establishments  which  turn  out  tracts  and  religious  papers. 


64  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

I 

THE  CHINA  INLAND  MISSION. 

No  report  of  mission  work  in  China,  however  fragmentary  it  is 
acknowledged  to  be,  would  be  excusable  for  not  mentioning  the  China 
Inland  Mission  whose  office  is  in  Shanghai ;  here  the  stores  are  kept  ;  here 
the  missionaries  are  received,  and  introduced  to  their  work  ;  here  general 
direction  is  given  to  their  great  work  scattered  so  widely  over  this  immense 
empire.  Those  who  laughed  at  J.  Hudson  Taylor  twenty-five  years  ago 
when,  in  Chinese  garb  and  queue,  he  adapted  himself  to  the  customs  of 
the  people,  determined  to  be  "all  things  to  all  men,"  are  now  glad  to  look 
to  him  as  leader  of  the  greatest  missionary  enterprise  in  China,  both  from 
the  standpoint  of  faith  and  that  of  apparent  results.  They  have  about 
four  hundred  missionaries,  and  ninety  regular  stations,  mostly  in  central 
China,  with  women  in  nearly  all  of  them.  At  Ganking  they  have  a  school 
for  men  and  one  at  Yangchow  for  women,  where  they  prepare  for  their 
work  during  six  or  nine  months.  In  the  month  of  October  they  baptized 
forty  converts.  They  receive  missionaries  of  all  denominations  on  equal 
terms,  allowing  those  of  the  same  denomination  to  be  located  together. 
All  dress  in  the  garb  peculiar  to  the  province  in  which  they  labor,  and 
although  the  shoes  are  a  little  clumsy,  the  queue  a  little  in  the  way,  and  the 
trowsers  a  little  bungling  for  a  long-gaited  pedestrian,  the  missionaries  do 
not  dislike  it,  and  it  has  advantages  natural  as  well  as  strategical. 

The  purpose  of  the  mission  has  been,  and  is,  to  give  the  gospel  to  the 
unoccupied  parts  of  the  empire,  and  it  has  reached  many  provinces.  It  has 
no  home  society  behind  it,  but  depends  upon  the  Holy  Spirit's  using  the  story 
of  its  noble  superintendent  among  the  people  in  Christian  lands  to  furnish 
money  and  workers  for  the  field,' and  to  baptize  the  missionaries  in  the  field 
for  fruitfulness.  This  mission  has  its  general  management  at  Shanghai; 
and  each  station  has  its  superintendent ;  its  work  being  most  carefully 
organized  and  systematized.  The  workers  all  have  a  simple,  self-denying, 
devoted  spirit,  but  never  yet  have  they  lacked  ;  their  needs  have  been 
constantly  supplied,  and  never  was  this  enterprise  more  vigorous,  prom- 
ising, or  spiritual  than  now.  Mr.  Taylor  was  absent  on  a  business  trip 
to  Australia,  but  Rev.  J.  W.  Stevenson,  his  first  assistant,  and  Mr.  W.  J. 
Lewis,  secretary,  gave  us  a  royal  welcome,  and  told  us  much  about  the 


THE   LAND    OF   CONFUCIUS.  65 

character  of  the  mission.  The  building  for  the  offices  and  the  missionary 
home  is  of  brick,  having  a  broad  front,  and  two  extensive  wings,  with  a 
court  and  pavilion  between.  It  was  a  gift  of  one  of  their  missionaries, 
probably  costing  sixty  thousand  dollars,  and  the  money  could  not  have 
been  better  expended. 

The  Anglo-Chinese  College  —  Rev.  Dr.  Allen  president — gave  us  a 
good  illustration  of  some  of  the  educational  work  going  on  here.  There 
were  about  fifty  young  men  students,  under  the  best  of  discipline.  Here 
we  also  had  the  privilege  of  meeting  Professors  Bonnell,  Loehr,  Gray,  and 
Hill.  A  good  illustration  of  what  an  American  education  will  do  for  the 
Chinese  is  seen  in  the  Rev.  J.  K.  Yen,  rector  of  the  Church  of  Our  Saviour, 
and  vice-president  of  the  Chinese  Religious  Tract  Society,  who  was  edu- 
cated at  Kenyon  College,  Ohio.  He  stands  well  in  Shanghai ;  and  although 
a  very  busy  man,  made  our  call  profitable  by  telling  us  about  the  joy  of 
his  work. 

At  a  missionary  conference  held  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Evans,  we  met 
about  seventy  missionaries,  including  Mr.  Herring,  an  enthusiastic  South- 
ern Baptist ;  and  venerable  Father  Muirhead,  forty-two  years  in  the  harness 
for  China,  and  still  eager  for  the  work.  He  is  of  the  London  Missionary 
Society,  and  was  a  companion  to  Dr.  Medhurst.  During  our  stay  we  took 
several  excursions  into  the  country,  including  one  to  the  pagoda,  a  red 
wooden  building  several  stories  high,  built,  like  the  rest  in  China,  not  cnly 
for  a  place  of  worship,  but  as  a  meritorious  offering  from  somebody.  In 
these  excursions  we  saw  much  of  the  common  people,  and  their  habits  of 
life,  passing  through  acres  of  burial  mounds  stretching  out  in  every 
direction,  going  on  foot,  in  "rickshaws,"  and  in  wheelbarrows.  These 
last  named  contrivances  are  partitioned  through  the  center  and  have  a  rope 
looped  at  the  sides  to  rest  the  feet  in.  We  have  seen  two  women  enjoying 
one  side  of  the  partition,  and  two  hogs  stretched  out  upon  the  other.  Alas, 
how  alike  is  man  and  beast  where  Christ  is  not  obeyed  ! 


CHAPTER  VII. 


OFF  FOR  HONG-KONG  AND  CANTON. 


ATURDAY,  Decem- 
ber 6,  one  o  'clock, 
found  us  at  the 
wharf  upon  the  steam 
launch  "Gutzlaff," 
ready  to  sail  down  to 
Woo-Sung,  and  there 
embark  for  our  voy- 
age across  the  China 
Sea,  one  of  the  most 
rocky  and  dangerous 
parts  of  our  trip. 
Everywhere  we  had 
been  kindly  helped  by 
the  missionaries,  and 
in  return  we  had 
helped  them  at  every 

opportunity.  The  homes  of  our  dear  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Farnham,  and  their 
three  married  daughters — Mrs.  Emmons,  Mrs.  Osborne,  and  Mrs.  Mac- 
Gowan  —  had  been  places  of  rest  and  comfort  to  us.  At  the  wharf  a  com- 
pany of  missionaries  and  others  gathered  to  say  good-by.  We  lunched 
with  Mrs.  Osborne,  and  she,  together  with  her  father  and  mother,  Mr. 
Silsby,  and  Miss  Moore,  sailed  with  us  to  our  ship.  Everybody  tried  to 
be  cheerful,  but  it  was  rather  an  unsuccessful  attempt.  A  few  hurried  good- 
bys  and  God-bless-yous  on  the  steamer,  and  then  the  launch  pushed 
away,  bearing  our  dear  brave  friends  back  to  their  homes,  adopted  for  the 
[661 


PART  OF  HONG-KONG. 


OFF  FOR   HONG-KONG   AND    CANTON. 


67 


sake  of  Jesus  and  wretched  idolaters.  Long  we  leaned  over  the  rail,  and 
looked  with  straining  eyes  until  the  last  form  with  fluttering  handkerchief 
passed  out  of  sight.  Very  soon  the  "  Mirzapore  "  weighed  her  anchors, 
and  turned  her  prow  to  the  sea,  while  clouds  of  sea  fowl  saluted  us  with 
"quacks  "and  "  honkings. "  One  constantly  cheering  thought  was  now 
ever  with  us  ;  namely,  every  day  of  travel  was  bringing  us  nearer  to  the 
starting  point  —  home. 

HONG-KOXG. 

Both  sea  and  sky  were  favorable,  and  we  sailed  into  the  harbor  on 
Tuesday  morning  at  7  A.  M.  Hong-Kong  harbor  is  larger,  but  not  so 
beautiful  to  my  mind  as  that  of  Nagasaki.  It  is  surrounded  by  hills,  clad 
with  verdure,  and  strange  to  say,  only  London  and  Liverpool,  of  all  the 
shipping  ports  in  the  world,  have  more  shipping  than  Hong-Kong.  Its 
annual  trade  is  more  than  two  hundred  million  dollars,  with  a  population 
of  about  two  hundred  and  forty  thousand.  The  Chinese  quarter  is  a  kind 
of  bee-hive  section  in  the  eastern  and  western  parts  of  the  town,  while 
foreigners  occupy  the  central  part,  sweeping  from  the  bay  up  over  the  hill 
very  near  to  the  top  of  Victoria  Peak,  eighteen  hundred  feet  high.  Here 
again  we  see  how  substantially  England  colonizes.  Strong  and  beautiful 
stores,  hotels,  banking-houses,  mansions,  and  villas,  and  among  them  a 
beautiful  English  cathedral,  remarkable  for  whiteness,  climb  the  sides  of 
the  hills.  A  cable  tram-way  takes  us  up  twelve  hundred  and  seventy  feet ; 
at  one  place  the  incline  is  forty-five  degrees.  At  the  summit  two  large  and 
elegant  hotels  were  in  process  of  construction,  all  the  material  being 
brought  up  on  the  shoulders  of  men  and  women.  All  along  the  winding 
foot-path  they  were  busy  as  ants,  now  one  carrying  alone,  now  four 
struggling  with  a  block  of  gran- 
ite suspended  by  ropes  from 
poles  resting  upon  their  shoul- 
ders. Their  shoulders,  and 
hands,  and  feet  are  calloused, 
and  tough  as  leather.  How 
these  poor  creatures  do  such 


68  IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

hard  work  on  their  meager  diet  seems  a  mystery.  Rice  and  a  few  vege- 
tables are  their  chief  food.  A  manager  who  stood  by  told  us  that  when 
hired  in  small  numbers  they  were  paid  ten  cents  each  a  day  ;  in  large  num- 
bers, five  cents  ;  and  this  is  regarded  as  good  pay.  What  would  the  work- 
ing men  and  women  of  America  think  of  this  ?  Would  n't  they  strike  at 
such  prices? 

The  English  barracks  are  models  of  neatness.  Scotch  highlanders 
have  been  stationed  here  for  two  years.  They  are  fine-looking  fellows, 
usually  with  clear  complexion  and  light  hair ;  the  guards  beat  back  and 
forth  with  polished  gun  and  bayonet ;  the  bag-piper  walks  up  and  down 
before  the  officers'  quarters  playing  '•' The  Campbells  Are  Coming."  All 
are  dressed  with  white  buskins  ending  at  the  knee  with  white  and  scarlet 
plaid  ;  green  and  blue  plaid  kilts  over  the  hips  ;  jackets  and  helmets  of  milky 
whiteness,  and  the  bearskin  and  thistle  hanging  from  the  waist  in  front. 
They  looked  nice  enough  for  church  ;  never  did  war  seem  so  horrible  to 
me  as  when  I  thought  of  a  bomb-shell  bursting  in  their  camp.  I  craved 
them  for  missionaries  to  bear  the  sword  of  the  Spirit  and  the  shield  of 

salvation. 

CANTON. 

Canton  is  ninety  miles  from  Hong-Kong,  up  the  Chu  river.  We  went 
up  on  the  "  Ho-Nan  ;  "  and  while  waiting  for  her  to  start,  were  much 
entertained  in  watching  the  unloading  of  the  "Hankow,"  the  consort  of 
our  boat,  which  had  just  arrived.  An  army  of  men,  women,  and  children 
marched  down  to  the  warf  somewhat  irregularly,  with  long-pole  "  shoulder 
arms,"  and  attacked  the  freight  of  vegetables,  fowls,  and  fruit.  It  was  a 
babel  of  voices,  the  struggle  of  a  mob,  and  an  exhibition  of  steel  muscle. 
Ernest  Gordon,  son  of  Dr.  Gordon  of  Clarenden  street  church,  in  Boston, 
accompanied  us,  having  come  in  the  same  ship  from  Shanghai. 

We  reached  Canton  early  in  the  morning,  and  before  we  were  out  of 
our,  berths,  heard  the  familiar  voice  of  good  Brother  Simmons,  of  the 
Southern  Baptist  Mission,  inquiring  for  us.  It  did  not  take  us  long  to 
dress,  return  his  hearty  greeting,  and  lodge  ourselves  in  a  sampan.  The 
sturdy  skuller  soon  took  us  to  a  little  jetty,  and  after  a  few  steps,  a  gate 
was  opened  in  the  high  fence  about  the  mission  compound,  and  we  were 
at  the  home  of  our  dear  brother.  Mrs.  Simmons  was  just  the  same  good 
woman  that  we  respected  so  much  on  the  "Belgic."  Miss  Whilden  also 


OFF  FOR  HONG-KONG  AND    CANTON. 


69 


had  a  hearty  welcome  for  us ;  and  here,  too,  we  found  Miss  North,  a  heroic, 
self-supporting  missionary.  The  public  devotions  in  this  home  were 
conducted  in  Chinese  ;  and  although  we  could  not  understand  the  words, 
we  felt  the  spirit  of  a  higher  and  universal  language.  The  Chinese  servants 
participated  in  the  reading  and  singing,  and  one  offered  a  prayer.  My  heart 
was  indeed  moved  when  I  was  told  that  he  prayed  very  earnestly  for  us. 

ABOUT   TOWN 

Canton  is  said  to 
be  quite  a  typical 
Chinese  city  ;  though 
cleaner  than  native 
Shanghai,  her  streets 
are,  if  possible,  nar- 
rower. The  people 
have  an  intense  hatred 
for  what  they  call 
"foreign  devils" — all 
foreigners.  The  large 
French  cathedral 
serves  greatly  to  irri- 
tate the  natives. 
Catholic  despotism 
does  not  fit  them  well, 
and  a  few  years  since  it  was  the  cause  of  serious  trouble  in  this  locality. 
A  front  corner-stone  of  the  cathedral  bears  the  inscription,  "  Roma  1863  ;  " 
the  opposite  one,  "Jerusalem,  1863."  Whatever  it  may  mean  to  them,  to 
me  it  said,  "The  pope  or  Christ,  which?" 

The  execution  ground  was  disappointing — only  a  small  place,  perhaps 
a  hundred  feet  deep,  narrow,  hemmed  in  by  buildings,  with  a  few  rude 
crosses  leaning  against  them.  Evidently  the  sight  of  natives  unpacking 
goods  before  us  was  a  mild  scene  compared  with  those  which  had  been 
witnessed  here. 

We  passed  the  rooms  where  the  students  are  confined  to  pass  their 
examinations.  But  one  student  occupies  each  of  the  rooms,  which  are 
very  small,  and  he  is  not  allowed  to  communicate  with  others  or  come  out 


EXECUTION  GROUNDS,  CANTON. 


70  IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 

until  his  work  is  finished.  The  examinations  are  rigid,  and  their  conduct 
might  be  imitated  by  American  colleges  with  profit.  The  Chinese  need 
not  the  stimulus  of  fresh  discoveries  to  keep  alive  their  love  for  learning. 
Classical  studies  are  their  great  delight.  To  come  a  little  nearer  Confucius 
is  a  sufficient  incentive  for  them.  Ten  thousand  students  at  one  time  in 
one  of  the  many  places  for  examination  in  the  empire  is  not  uncommon. 

The  archways  through  the  city  walls  are  very  picturesque;  now  and 
then  a  banyan  tree  throws  its  top  and  branch  roots  out  over  them  ;  but 
even  the  persistent  banyan  gets  small  chance  in  China-town.  One  arch 
.through  which  we  passed  was  built  60  B.  c.  From  the  wall  the  city  is  as 
queer  as  from  the  street.  Black  tiled  roofs,  concave  and  irregular,  stretch 
away  in  all  directions,  covered  with  black  water-pots  constituting  the  city's 
fire  company.  Those  dry-good's  boxes  (as  we  should  call  them)  on  poles 
high  over  the  roofs  are  the  firemen's  watch  towers.  Here  is  a  water  clock 
four  hundred  years  old,  which  indicates  time  by  a  water  meter  placed  in  a 
huge  jar  into  which  water  drops,  trickling  down  from  one  jar  to  another. 

TEMPLE   OF   HELL. 

Pekin  has  its  "Temple  of  Heaven,"  which  is  said  to  be  very  beautiful; 
Canton  has  its  "Temple  of  Hell,"  which  is  not  at  all  beautiful.  The  dirty, 
leprous  beggars  about  this  temple  gave  us  more  torture  than  we  desired, 
but  the  different  departments  of  Confucian  justice  suggested  still  more. 
The  temple  itself  is  dark  and  dirty  ;  on  three  sides  of  it  are  dingy  stalls, 
each  of  them  containing  a  scene  indicating  the  punishment  of  the  wicked. 
One  represents  different  paths  leading  to  a  precipice  over  which  they 
fall  into  a  pit,  where  devils  take  charge  of  them  with  manacles,  tridents, 
and  instruments  of  torture.  Here  are  some  turning  into  cows  and  sheep  as 
a  punishment  for  eating  these  animals.  Here  a  man  is  stirred  in  boiling 
oil,  and  another  is  crushed  under  a  bell.  Here  one  is  squeezed  in  a  vice, 
while  another  is  beaten  with  a  board.  There  one  is  represented  as  viewing 
his  ugly  face  in  a  mirror.  The  last  seemed  the  most  sensible  of  all,  for 
nothing  in  the  future  can  be  more  terrible  to  the  wicked  than  to  see  them- 
selves as  they  are.  No  wonder  that  they  will  call  for  the  rocks  and  the 
mountains  to  fall  upon  them.  These  poor  temple  beggars  know  not  that 
there  is  One,  looking  into  whose  face  as  a  glass,  we  are  changed  from  char- 
acter to  character.  When  shall  their  blind  eyes  open  to  this  fact? 


OFF  FOR   HONG-KONG   AND    CANTON.  71 

WATER   ABODES. 

The  river  is  crowded  with  house-boats  for  miles.  They  are  of  all  sizes, 
and  some  of  them  two-storied.  Some  are  used  for  saloons,  lodging  places, 
and  opium  dens  ;  but  the  larger  part  are  very  small,  and  used  for  families  to 
live  in.  These  little,  partially-covered  sampans  contain  nothing  which  can 
be  called  furniture.  A  straw  mat  is  a  bed  ;  a  pot  of  coals  is  a  cooking 
range  ;  a  hanging  basket  is  a  flower  garden  ;  a  small  cage,  with  one  or  two 
fowls  suspended  from  the  side,  is  a  hen-coop  ;  a  few  ugly  wood-cuts  of 
open-mouthed  gods  are  the  ornaments.  Imagine  a  few  little  fish  spread 
out  to  dry  on  the  covering  of  the  sampan,  rice  cooking  in  the  prow  for 
the  next  meal  while  you  are  being  sculled  along, — and  all  in  a  craft  thirty 
feet  long  by  ten  at  the  widest  part, — and  you  will  have  the  average  house- 
boat in  which  from  one- hundred  and  sixty  to  one  hundred  and  eighty  thou- 
sand people  live  at  Canton,  most  of  them  never  placing  their  feet  upon  the 
land.  When  a  member  of  the  family  is  married,  the  home  is  made  on  this 
same  boat,  or  another  like  it.  Three  generations  may  live  in  one  such  as 

we  have  described. 

THE   SENT. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Graves,  who  live  in  the  same  compound  with  Mr.  Simmons, 
greeted  us  kindly,  and  showed  us  their  work,  especially  the  school  of  young 
men  in  which  the  doctor  is  particularly  interested.  He  has  been  here  for 
thirty-four  years,  and  is  at  the  head  of  the  Southern  Baptist  work.  It  was 
a  great  privilege  to  meet  this  veteran,  and  feel  the  glow  of  his  noble,  enthu- 
siastic spirit.  Nobody  interested  in  missions  at  Canton  ever  tires  of  telling 
of  the  early  experiences  of  Morrison,  and  the  good  work  done  by  the 
London  Missionary  Society.  Here,  too,  are  the  Northern  Presbyterians, 
the  English  Methodists,  and  the  American  Board, — all  vigorous  and  loyal 
to  Christ  in  this,  the  second  city  of  the  great  empire. 

Our  hearts  were  deeply  moved  by  the  self-sacrificing  spirit  of  the  mis- 
sionaries whom  we  met  in  our  short  stay  here;  and  when  the  time  came 
to  go,  we  were  thankful  that  our  love  for  these  faithful  ones  placed  them 
among  those  for  whom  we  should  especially  pray.  Somehow  they  seemed 

bound  to  us  forever. 

HUSTLING. 

Our  prolonged  parting  at  last  compelled  us  to  hurry.  Brother  Simmons 
directed  the  boatman  to  hasten,  and  perhaps  he  did  try,  but  our  progress 


72  IN   THE  PA  TH  OF  LIGHT. 

was  slow.  The  side  ways  were  filled  with  house-boats,  and  they  passed  and 
crossed  one  another's  path,  keeping  up  a  constant  struggle  for  the  right  of 
way.  We  seemed  like  a  fly  in  a  spider's  web,  as  men,  women,  and  children, 
rowed,  skulled,  or  pushed  their  boats  with  poles  reaching  the  bottom,  all 
the  while  hallooing  and  jeering.  Now  a  little  girl  falls  into  the  dirty  river 
from  the  stern  of  a  boat  some  distance  ahead  of  us;  but  nobody  minds 
her, — it  is  only  a  girl.  The  boys  have  gourds  for  life-preservers  tied  to 
their  bodies,  but  it  is  no  matter  about  the  girls.  This  one  makes  a  brave 
struggle,  however  ;  and  as  the  boat  is  delayed  in  the  snarl,  she  clambers  in, 
to  sit  and  dry  off  at  her  leisure. 

Imagine  yourself  in  a  Cantonese  house-boat,  trying  to  make  your  way 
among  legions  of  others,  all  as  eager  as  yourself,  with  a  ticket  for  Singa- 
pore via  a  ship  that  sails  to-morrow  noon  from  Hong-Kong,  and  your  only 
transport  to  Hong-Kong  due  to  sail  in  a  few  minutes,  and  you  unable  to 
make  your  boatman  understand  even  that  you  are  in  a  hurry.  "Well, 
after  all,  this  is  one  of  the  'all  things,'"  we  said,  and  so  settled  down  and 
really  enjoyed  it.  At  length  we  made  our  way  to  the  ship,  and  got  aboard, 
just  in  season,  for  she  was  off  at  once. 

Down  the  river  we  go,  past  the  Southern  Baptist  Mission  compound, 
where  we  see  our  friends  and  the  flutter  of  handkerchiefs  waving  us  farewell 
until  the  balcony  is  lost  to  our  view.  God  bless  them  and  their  work  ! 
Somewhere,  God  willing,  we  shall  meet  again. 

For  a  long  time  our  way  was  bordered  with  house-boats  ;  then  green 
fields  filled  with  rice  plots,  country  homes  and  Lichi  trees,  stretched  away 
to  distant  hills,  covered  with  graves.  Here  and  there  appeared  a  pagoda, 
two  of  which  were  nine  stories  high,  with  vines  and  shrubs  growing  on 
them  to  the  very  top.  The  channel  gets  narrow,  and  the  way  is  indicated 
by  driven  piles  ;  but  at  length  the  river  grows  broader,  junks  come  and  go, 
hills  die  away  in  the  distance  amid  the  shadows  of  night ;  lights  move  on 
the  water  like  will-o-the-wisps,  to  vanish  in  some  tributary  of  the  Chu ;  and 
we  go  to  our  state-room  and  try  to  get  warm  ;  for  we  haven't  yet  gained 
the  victory  over  Shanghai  malaria.  Captain  La  Favre  was  not  led  to  open 
his  heart  toward  our  needs  very  much.  It  was  suggested  that  this  might 
be  because  we  did  not  need  the  $1.50  dinner  (having  dined  before  we 
started)  which  was  especially  his  "pidgin"  (business). 


OFF  FOR  HONG-KONG  AND    CANTON.  73 

PIRACY. 

Little  did  we  think  as  we  were  trying  to  make  ourselves  comfortable  on 
our  way  from  Canton  to  Hong-Kong  that  there  was  any  more  danger  with- 
out than  within  our  ship.  When  we  reached  Hong-Kong,  we  were  startled 
to  see  the  colors  on  all  the  shipping  at  half-mast,  and  to  learn  the  cause. 
Chinese  pirates  had  taken  possession  of  the  "  Namoa  "  the  night  before, 
looted  her,  and  murdered  the  captain,  a  quartermaster,  and  one  passenger. 
The  ship  had  returned  this  morning,  and  the  captain's  wife  had  just  gone 
aboard  to  claim  the  body  of  her  dead. 

The  Hong-Kong  Daily  Press,  Extra,  contained  the  following  in  regard 
to  the  affair:  "News  of  the  most  serious  kind  has  this  morning  come  to 
light — nothing  less  than  the  murder  of  three  Europeans  on  the  high  seas. 
The  particulars,  so  far  as  can  be  gathered  as  yet,  are  as  follows  :  The 
coast  steamer  '  Namoa  '  left  Hong-Kong  yesterday  about  eight  o'clock  with, 
as  it  turns  out,  a  large  gang  of  pirates  among  the  passengers.  After  having 
been  out  five  hours,  the  pirates  seized  the  opportunity  of  tiffin  hour  to  begin 
their  deadly  work.  One  of  the  passengers — Mr.  Patterson,  a  light-house 
keeper — was  on  deck,  not  feeling  well.  Receiving  a  bullet  through  the 
head,  he  at  once  expired.  The  pirates  kept  up  a  constant  fire  from  the 
deck  into  the  saloon,  thus  hemming  in  the  passengers  at  tiffin  ;  while  a  few 
more  got  to  close  quarters  with  Captain  Pocock.  The  odds  were  too  many 
for  the  captain,  who  was  overcome,  and  met  with  the  same  death  as  Mr. 
Patterson.  A  Manila  man,  said  to  be  a  quartermaster,  also  received  the 
same  treatment.  Several  others  were  wounded.  The  pirates  then  looted 
the  ship,  afterwards  making  off.  The  officers  returned  with  the  ship  this 
morning." 

It  is  furthermore  reported  that  they  robbed  the  ship  of  about  $50,000  ; 
ate,  drank  and  made  merry  ;  then  called  their  junk  and  escaped.  It  is  also 
reported  that  the  natives  at  the  wharf  and  the  Chinese  sailors  aboard,  knew 
what  was  going  to  be  done,  but  kept  it  to  themselves.  The  people  refer  to 
the  case  of  the  "Greyhound,"  pirated  four  years  ago,  and  all  on  board 
murdered.  This  leads  us  to  remember  an  occurrence  which  transpired 
while  we  were  in  Shanghai.  Miss  Smithey  and  Miss  Dr.  Phillips,  while 
going  to  their  station  at  Soo-chow,  about  seventy  miles  up  the  river,  in  a 


74  IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

house-boat,  were  attacked  by  robbers,  and  relieved  of  most  of  their  valua- 
bles. So  it  turns  out  that  dangers  in  China  are  not  confined  to  rebellions 
and  public  outbreaks. 

The  London  Standard  of  March  21,  1891,  has  the  following:  "Voy- 
aging in  the  China  Sea  is  not  so  pleasant  just  now.  It  is  no  very  enjoyable 
experience,  indeed,  at  any  time  ;  but  since  the  late  breaking  out  of  piracy, 
it  has  become  one  to  be  anxiously  avoided.  Investigation  of  this  sad  case 
of  the  '  Namoa '  proves  that  the  same  gang  of  miscreants  had  concerted 
the  capture  of  the  '  Kutsang,'  a  British  steamer,  trading  between  Singapore 
and  Hong-Kong — a  rich  prize,  no  doubt.  Happily  the  captain  received 
warning,  and  took  precautions.  Five  junks  approached  his  vessel  as  it 
steamed  by  Parcel  Island,  and  hailed  it,  evidently  believing  that  the  pirates 
were  in  possession,  and  ready  to  hand  over  the  spoil,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
'Namoa.'" 

So  terror  reigns  in  the  China  seas.  Huge  iron  gratings  have  been  fixed 
in  the  steamers,  to  shut  off  deck  passengers  from  the  after  part  of  the 
vessel.  Soon  as  it  leaves  port,  these  are  closed,  and  Malay  quartermasters, 
fully  armed,  stand  sentry  day  and  night.  Winchester  rifles,  revolvers,  and 
cutlasses  are  stored  in  accessible  spots  up  and  down,  and  Malay  sailors 
keep  guard  over  the  saloon  ;  while  passengers  eat,  drink,  and  make  them- 
selves as  merry  as  such  circumstances  allow.  Meantime,  ten  Chinamen 
accused  of  taking  part  in  the  capture  of  the  "  Namoa"  have  been  brought 
before  the  authorities  at  Canton,  tried,  sentenced,  and  executed,  in  twelve 
hours.  Concerning  the  last  bit  of  information,  we  sincerely  hope  that  the 
guilty  parties  were  punished,  but  Chinese  justice  is  a  queer  thing.  In  the 
first  place,  judges  are  said  to  be  extremely  sensitive  to  bribes.  Then  the 
accused  has  no  lawyer,  and  must  plead  his  own  case.  Contrary  to  our 
custom,  he  is  presumed  to  be  guilty  until  he  proves  his  own  innocence. 
The  prisoner  is  usually  tortured  until  he  admits  the  crime,  even  though 
innocent,  and  then  punishment  is  inflicted.  In  regard  to  weapons  of  defense 
on  China  Sea  steamships,  I  noticed  that  the  vessel  upon  which  we  sailed 
from  Singapore  to  Calcutta — a  vessel  engaged  in  the  opium  trade  between 
Calcutta  and  Hong-Kong — had  quite  an  armory  very  accessible  to  the 
officers. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


WHAT   OF   THE   CELESTIALS? 

ROM  what  we  have  seen,  we  are 
led  to  form  some  conclusions. 
To  me  there  is  much  about 
China  that  is  revolting.  I 
could  work  there,  and  love  the 
people ;  but  I  would  not  dare 
to  attempt  it  without  a  special 
baptism  of  God  for  that  pur- 
pose. Nevertheless  the  domi- 
nating civilization  of  this 
bigoted  and  immoral  people 
is  strong.  One  has  said  that 
"China  is  a  standing  illustra- 
tion of  what  human  perfection 
amounts  to  without  the  grace 
of  God;"  another,  that  "its 
government  is  at  once  the  most 

gigantic  and  the  most  minutely  organized  that  the  world  has  ever  seen." 
Unlike  the  Vedas  of  India,  the  Chinese  sacred  literature  is  pure,  and  free 
from  all  taint  of  immorality  ;  corrupting  books  are  even  bought  and  destroyed. 
Although  the  people  of  the  small  country  of  Manchooria,  who  are  Tartars, 
conquered  this  great  empire  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  the 
stability  of  Chinese  institutions  asserts  itself,  Confucian  learning  being 
the  only  door  to  office.  The  Manchoos  compel  them  to  wear  the  queue, 
for  Confucius  wore  his  hair  like  any  other  gentleman.  We  are  led  to  be- 

[751 


WATCH-TOWER. —  CANTON. 


76 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


lieve  that  if  any  civilized  power  should  conquer  them,  they  would  as  readily 
submit  to  its  authority. 

The  principal  objects  of  worship  in  China  are  dead  ancestors  ;  in  many 
provinces  nearly  every  house  and  shop  has  a  shrine  with  one  or  more 
tablets,  before  which  paper  and  incense  are  burned.  This  tablet  bears  the 
name  of  some  dead  ancestor. 

Mission  work  in  China  is  very  different  from  what  it  is  in  Japan.  The 
difference  between  the  missionaries  in  these  two  countries  is  also  noticeable, 

all  of  which  goes  to  show  that  every  mission- 
ary's work  should  be  chosen  by  God  and  not 
by  himself.  Many  times  I  have  thought  while 
in  the  presence  of  the  consecrated  workers  in 
China,  "You  have  a  hard  task  before  you;" 
and  then  the  answer  would  come  to  me,  "God 
has  chosen  his  instruments,  and  fitted  them  for 
just  the  place  they  are  in."  They  are  as  well 
fitted  for  their  work  as  the  missionaries  in  Japan 
are  for  theirs.  No  one  can  witness  their  noble 
and  unselfish  spirit  without  admiration.  Strong 
men  whose  chief  inspiration  is  the  profit  of 
their  fellow-men  and  loyalty  to  God  ;  old  men 
and  women  whose  lives  have  been  nearly  lived  out  here,  but  who  are  still 
eager  for  the  work  to  go  on  ;  timid  and  sensitive  women,  who  would  shrink 
from  struggling  for  themselves  at  home,  these  are  all  here,  busy  for  others 
and  trusting  their  own  lives  in  the  hands  of  God. 

No  one  can  witness  the  vigor  of  the  work  in  schools,  native  churches, 
hospitals,  and  dispensaries,  and  not  have  confidence  in  it.  Already  the 
Chinese  are  proving  that  they  can  make  good  Christians.  If  there  were 
not  some  goats  among  them,  they  would  not  be  like  the  usual  flock  in  an 
American  church  ;  but  it  is  plain  that  God  is  doing  a  work  upon  their 
hearts.  The  natives  come  readily  into  chapels,  giving  the  missionary  a 
good  opportunity  to  teach  them.  Stepping  into  a  chapel  just  off  a  crowded 
street  one  day,  with  a  missionary, —  only  to  look  at  it  —  I  saw  a  score  or 
more  following  us,  largely  children.  No  caste  stands  in  the  way,  as  in  India. 


CHINA'S  YOUTHFUL  EMPEROR. 


WHAT  OF  THE   CELESTIALS*  77 

Prejudice  to  foreigners  is  allayed  by  contact  with  all  missionaries  except 
the  Roman  Catholics.  And  they  are  not  so  much  unlike  other  nations, 
after  all,  in  having  the  idea  that  a  monopoly  of  most  excellences  is  theirs, 
and  that  all  outside  are  "dogs."  When  a  foreigner  comes  among  them 
who  is  not  a  "globe  trotter,"  who  can  speak  their  language,  talk  about 
Confucius,  and  show  that  he  is  civilized,  he  really  becomes  quite  endur- 
able to  them. 

The  comparative  value  of  native  and  foreign  missionaries  is  a  question 
much  discussed  in  China.  The  missionaries  themselves  are  divided  on  the 
subject,  some  believing  that  the  time  has  not  come  to  put  much  work  into 
the  hands  of  the  natives,  fearing  that  all  which  has  been  gained  would  be 
lost  by  so  doing.  Others  say  that  the  converted  natives  should  be  utilized 
much  more  than  they  have  been.  They  ask  us  to  consider  what  the  object 
of  the  work  is  ;  to  remember  that  when  a  native  is  educated  and  Christian- 
ized, he  is  virtually  separated  from  his  people,  unfitted  for  native  work  and 
his  former  manner  of  life, 'to  a  large  extent,  and  consequently  should  devote 
himself  to  the  work  for  which  his  training  has  fitted  him.  It  is  evident 
that  foreigners  will  have  to  superintend  the  missions  until  the  tide  of  senti- 
ment turns  in  favor  of  Christianity,  but  we  cannot  reasonably  expect  any 
country  to  be  Christianized  by  foreigners  ;  a  religion  must  become  indige- 
nous before  universal.  This  period  will  be  hastened  by  calling  to  the  aid 
of  Christianity  those  natives  who  are  able  to  do  the  work,  granting  to  them 
responsibilities  in  proportion  to  their  qualifications. 

Let  no  missionary  go  to  China  who  is  not  prepared  "to  endure  hard- 
ness as  a  good  soldier."  One  third  of  the  human  family  is  here,  self- 
satisfied,  haughty,  priding  itself  upon  its  antiquity,  the  largest  nation  which 
Christians  have  ever  attempted  to  bring  to  Jesus  Christ.  Let  the  missionary 
have  high  hope  also,  for  Christianity  has  come  to  China  to  stay  until  Jesus 
comes  ;  her  people  have  many  excellent  characteristics  which  when  sancti- 
fied, will  be  mighty.  When  China  wheels  into  line  after  the  King  of  kings, 
it  will  be  with  potency  and  ability,  for  these  things  characterize  her  re- 
markably even  while  she  gropes  in  dark  idolatry. 

One  of  the  wisest  of  living  Indian  missionaries  has  said  of  the  enter- 
prise which  the  church  has  undertaken  in  India,  that  it  is  the  most  glorious, 


78  IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

the  most  important,  though  perhaps  for  that  very  reason  the  most  arduous, 
in  the  world.  I  believe  that  if  he  had  known  China  as  well  as  he  knows 
India,  he  would  have  said  it  of  her  instead. 

When  China  is  brought  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth,  what  remains  for 
the  church  to  do  will  be  comparatively  easy.  Let  us  then  prayerfully — for 
it  must  be  of  God — set  up  our  banners,  lifting  them  from  watch-tower  to 
watch-tower,  until  they  shall  smite  the  breeze  all  over  that  land,  from  the 
sea  to  Siberia,  from  Manchooria  to  the  Himalayas. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


UNDER  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS. 


THE  WHEEL-BARROW. 


•  OR   some    unaccountable  reason, 
when  we    left    China,   we    found 
ourselves  possessed  of   some  of   its 
malaria.       In    my    case,    chills    and 
fever   set    in   in  good   earnest  soon 
after  leaving  Hong-Kong  for  Singa- 
pore.      For    two    days     the     enemy 
seemed  mighty,   depriving    me    of   my 
strength,  and  once  rendering  me  nearly 
unconscious.     The  fact  of  being  help- 
less and  among  strangers  came  to  me 

as  never  before.  How  I  wondered  if  those  who  had  promised  to  do  so 
were  praying  for  me,  or  had  forgotten  !  How  I  thought  of  familiar  faces, 
and  longed  to  take  my  child  in  my  arms  for  one  hour  !  The  steward  was 
very  kind.  Mr.  R.  S.  Greenlee  and  family,  from  Chicago,  whom  I  had 
met  in  Shanghai,  were  on  board  the  "  Mirzapore  ;  "  and  the  Lord  put  it 
into  his  heart  to  come  to  see  me  often.  I  was  also  conscious  of  the  pres- 
ence of  the  great  Physician,  and  when,  upon  the  morning  of  the  fourth 
day,  I  awoke  singing,  "Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest,"  I  knew  that  the  power  of  the  disease 
was  broken. 

The  temperature  grew  warm  very  fast.  Topis  for  the  head,  and  duck 
and  lawn  garments  soon  took  the  place  of  somber  woolens  ;  awnings  were 
spread  over  the  decks,  and  the  punkas  swayed  back  and  forth  in  the 
saloon.  The  sunset  sky  was  of  brass  and  crimson,  purple  and  gold. 

[79] 


80  IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

We  left  Hong-Kong  Thursday  afternoon  at  1:30.  Upon  the  following 
Tuesday  morning  I  was  warned  by  the  movements  of  the  "Mirzapore" 
that  we  were  nearing  Singapore,  and  going  outside,  I  beheld  the  dead- 
green  harbor  water,  and  the  islands  of  the  Straits  of  Malacca,  covered  with 
tossing,  feathery  bamboo.  Scores  of  natives  came  about  us,  swimming  or 
in  dug-outs,  begging  us  to  throw  silver  into  the  water  for  them  to  dive 
after.  Of  the  money  thus  thrown  over,  not  a  piece  was  lost,  but  each  came 
back  in  the  fingers  or  mouth  of  one  of  the  two  or  three  that  dove  after  it. 
Pennies  or  cash  they  repudiated,  either  because  of  their  small  value,  or 
because  they  were  not  easily  seen.  One  poor  fellow  got  into  a  helpless 
condition  somehow, — perhaps  he  was  stunned, — and  a  boat  was  lowered- 
from  our  ship  to  rescue  him.  He  looked  thoroughly  water-soaked,  and 
settled  down  in  a  helpless  heap  upon  deck,  but  soon  revived  and  was 
himself  again. 

SINGAPORE. 

The  island  of  Singapore  is  an  English  colony,  and  with  Penang  and 
Malacca,  form  what  is  known  as  the  Straits  Settlement.  To  the  south  is 
the  island  of  Sumatra,  to  the  southeast,  Borneo  ;  while  to  the  north  are 
Anam,  Siam,  and  Burmah.  At  the  wharf  a  great  number  of  vessels  are 
seen,  representing  nearly  every  nation  of  the  globe. 

It  was  the  sixteenth  of  December  when  we  reached  there,  but  summer  is 
ceaseless  at  Singapore,  only  about  seventy  miles  north  of  the  equator.  It 
was  not  as  hot  as  we  expected  to  find  it,  the  thermometer  rarely  rising 
above  ninety-five  degrees.  There  is  a  humidity  in  the  atmosphere  here 
not  ordinarily  felt  in  China  or  India,  for  there  are  showers  almost  daily. 
Going  ashore,  we  found  that  rain  had  fallen  during  the  night,  and  that  we 
were  in  an  atmosphere  warm,  moist,  and  fragrant.  Here  we  got  an  intro- 
duction to  several  things  peculiarly  Indian,  the  first  of  which  was  a  gharry, 
and  a  gharry-wallah.  The  gharry  is  a  springless,  uncomfortable,  closed 
carriage,  and  the  wallah  is  the  driver.  Small  but  strong  ponies  are  attached 
to  these  vehicles.  There  were  four  of  us  with  our  baggage  in  the  gharry 
which  we  took,  and  the  pony  would  not  have  weighed  more  than  four  hun- 
dred pounds,  but  aided  by  the  lash  and  fretful  tongue  of  our  driver  he  took 
us  along  at  a  brisk  trot. 


UNDER    THE  SOUTHERN   CROSS. 


81 


For  some  distance  the  street  is  lined  with  luxuriant  foliage  ;  great  clus- 
ters of  bananas  hang  in  the  midst  of  flaunting  leaves  ;  little  thatched  huts 
are  scattered  among  jungles  of  plumy  palms,  ferns,  and  tangled  vines,  and 
about  them  naked  children  sport.  Going  through  the  different  quarters  of 
the  town,  we  find  a  motley  people  with  motley  religions.  In  some  sections, 
and  out  upon  the  country  roads,  we  find  the  beautiful  bungalows  of  English 
and  Scotch  merchants.  Certain  parts  of  the  city  are  given  up  entirely  to 
the  Chinese,  of  whom  it  is  estimated  there  are  nearly  one  hundred  thousand 
here.  The  Tamils, 
or  Klings,  of  India, 
have  brought  with 
them  much  of  their 
Indian  manner  of 
life.  The  natives, 
or  Malays,  are  dif- 
ferent from  any  peo- 
ple that  we  have 
seen;  they  are  rather 
short,  with  a  flat 
nose,  thick  lips, 
sharp  eyes,  black 
hair,  and  small 
limbs  ;  they  are  said 
to  be  very  excitable.  We  saw  a  village  of  their  little  huts  on  piles  over  the 
water.  They  were  made  of  palm-leaves,  and  connected  with  one  another  by 
plank  or  twisted-fiber  walks,  so  that  the  occupants  could  be  neighborly. 

Everybody  wants  to  go  to  the  Botanical  Gardens  of  Singapore,  where 
is  collected  a  large  variety  of  tropical  plants  and  trees.  The  grounds  are 
laid  out  with  both  care  and  taste.  In  the  hot-houses  are  ferns  of  many 
different  kinds,  begonias,  lilies,  and  orchids,  and  even  the  marigold  and 
cockscomb  of  America.  Outside  are  a  variety  of  palms,  including  the 
cocoanut,  sago,  palmyra,  date,  and  the  "traveler's  tree." 

The  latter  is  also  known  as  the  fan  palm,  because  it  is  shaped  like  a 
great  fan,  having  a  trunk  of  various  lengths  up  to  thirty  feet,  while  the  top 
branches  spread  out,  in  a  semi-circle,  each  branch  having  one  oblong  leaf. 
6 


SINGAPORE  GHAKRV. 


82  IN  THE  PA  TH  OF  LIGHT. 

It  is  called  the  traveler's  tree  because  it  is  such  a  great  boon  to  the  traveler. 
When  a  branch  is  broken  off,  or  pierced  near  the  trunk,  it  furnishes  a 
quantity  of  nourishing  drink  to  the  thirsty.  In  an  artificial  pond,  the 
Victoria  Regia  spreads  its  broad  leaves,  six  or  seven  feet  in  diameter,  and 
opens  its  great  white  petals,  making  a  blossom  over  a  foot  across. 

On  our  way  to  the  garden  we  pass  beautiful  hedges,  out  of  which  nod 
great  clusters  of  lantana,  and  over  which  beautiful  varieties  of  thunbergia 
creep  and  blossom.  Our  gharry-wallah,  whom  we  hire  for  one  dollar  and 
fifty  cents  a  day,  is  a  very  deceptive,  irritable,  little  Tamil  of  deep-lacquer 
color,  with  bare  and  bandy  legs  and  a  great  pugree  about  his  head.  Not 
wishing  to  drive  us  through  the  botanical  gardens,  he  declared  that  he  was 
not  allowed  to  do  so  ;  but  we  finally  convinced  him  that  he  was  mistaken. 
Whenever  we  set  out  in  a  new  direction,  he  would  protest  and  sticking  two 
fingers  into  our  faces,  scream  out,  "Tue  dollar.;  "  and  then  with  the  ven- 
geance of  a  Jehu  he  would  rise  up  and  lash  his  pony.  He  was  very  sober, 
but  did  smile  and  laugh  outright,  however,  when  he  told  us  that  he  had 
two  wives.  We  laughed  too. 

We  had  not  far  to  go  to  get  into  the  wildest  of  jungle,  which  I  have  no 
language  to  describe,  where  wild  boars,  deer,  and  formidable  pythons  are 
found.  The  most  dangerous  animals  are  not  permanent  inhabitants  of  the 
island  now,  but  tigers  occasionally  swim  over  from  the  mainland,  which  is 
separated  by  a  strait,  only  half  a  mile  wide.  The  name  "Singapore"  is  the 
Indian  for  "city  of  the  lion."  No  doubt  it  was  the  lion's  home  before  it 
was  man's.  As  one  looks  into  this  jungle  and  the  tangled  mass  of  Johore, 
he  thinks  of  primeval  days;  of  forests,  ferns,  and  flowers  growing  and  dying 
unseen  by  man  ;  of  birds  and  beasts  and  reptiles  that  have  long  held  an 
undisputed  kingdom  ;  of  solitude  that  crieth  unto  solitude,  while  all  that 
there  abide  are  only  known  to,  and  cared  for,  by  Him  who  never  slumbers 
or  sleeps. 

A  letter  of  introduction  to  Rev.  W.  Kensett  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
.Mission  takes  us  to  his  school,  and  he  directs  us  to  the  Raffles  Hotel  as 
our  best  stopping-place.  We  find  that  "  Raffles"  is  a  historic  name  here; 
there  is  the  Raffles  Library,  Raffles  School,  etc.  This  is  accounted  for  by 
the  fact  that  Sir  Stamford  Raffles  made  a  British  settlement  here,  and  began 
a  \vork  which  led  to  the  purchase  of  the  island  from  the  Maharajah  of 
Johore,  in  1824. 


UNDER    THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS.  83 

Raffles  Hotel  is  well  arranged,  well  kept,  and  attractive,  straw  matting 
and  cane  furniture  predominating.  The  dining-room,  presided  over  by  the 
punka-wallah,  is  open  to  the  ceiling  of  the  second  story.  In  the  upper 
story  a  balcony  surrounds  this  opening,  three  of  the  sides  of  which  open 
into  sleeping  apartments  and  one  onto  the  broad  verandah  which  overlooks 
the  lawn  and  bay. 

REST— ETHICAL    AND   PHYSICAL. 

It  was  here  that  I  obtained  my  first  idea  of  the  fact  that  in  India  every- 
body must  carry  bed-clothes  if  he  is  to  have  any.  This  is  the  case  even  at 
the  Raffles  Hotel  where  one  must  pay  two  dollars  and  a  half  per  day,  or 
any  part  of  a  day  ;  because  ' '  this  is  the  custom  in  all  the  hotels  of  the  Straits 
Settlement."  The  evening,  to  me,  in  this  land  of  strange  scenes  brought 
quietness  and  rest.  It  is  nearing  the  Christmas-tide ;  and  as  I  look 
through  my  Venetians  to  the  stars,  that  never  seem  so  large  and  lustrous  as 
in  the  sky  of  the  tropics,  there  comes  a  breath  from  Bethlehem.  Anon 
the  merry  chirp  of  crickets  outside  takes  me  back  to  summer  days  in  New 
England  ;  while  the  beating  of  the  sea  near  by  transforms  Raffles  Hotel 
into  the  Billow  House  at  Ocean  Park.  Surely  my  thoughts  were  across 
the  seas  ! 

When  about  to  retire,  I  found  my  bedding  to  consist  only  of  the  indis- 
pensable India  mosquito-netting,  a  cotton  mattress,  one  sheet,  two  pillows 
and  a  bolster.  What  was  to  cover  me  ?  The  night  was  cool,  and  my 
strength  was  not  restored  from  my  struggle  with  celestial  malaria.  I  called 
Mr.  Sandford  to  the  rescue,  and  asked  him  to  inquire  at  the  office  ;  he 
returned  with  the  cheering  information  that  the  rooms  were  all  alike,  and 
that  I  would  probably  have  to  take  it  as  it  was.  All  right !  My  first  reso- 
lution on  setting  out  on  my  journey — to  make  the  best  of  whatever  might 
come  to  me  —  was  available  and  I  crawled  under  the  solitary  sheet,  placed 
the  bolster  to  my  back,  one  pillow  in  front  of  me,  my  two  coats  over  me, 
and  slept  for  the  first  time  in  true  Indian  fashion. 

The  prevailing  religions  here  are  Hinduism,  Mohammedanism,  and  Con- 
fucianism, the  temples  of  these  sects  sometimes  standing  quite  near  each 
other.  The  Chinese  here  are  very  different  from  those  in  the  "flowery 
land  ;  "  they  really  seem  to  have  improved  under  British  rule.  They  are 
for  the  most  part  industrious,  prosperous,  and  many  of  them  very  rich. 
They  are  inclined  to  enjoy  the  authority  which  presides  over  them,  and 


84  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

seem  to  desire  to  be  identified  with  it.  Many  become  interested  in  an 
English  education,  and  patronize  the  English  and  mission  schools  for  their 
children,  in  some  cases  being  generous  toward  them.  Some  of  their  native 
habits  of  dress  are  also  modified.  The  queue,  which  is  always  spliced  with 
black  in  the  home-land,  is  here  lengthened  out  with  red,  white,  or  blue; 
and  the  women  ignore  that  terrible  custom  of  crushing  the  feet. 

MISSION  INTERESTS. 

We  are  informed  that  the  London  Missionary  Society  and  the  American 
Board  began  work  here,  but  transferred  their  interests  to  China  when  that 
Empire  was  opened  to  missionaries.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  has 
pushed  work  here  since  1882  with  increasing  energy.  The  English  Presby- 
terian Mission  has  begun  work  at  several  points  and  is  succeeding. 

Since  our  visit,  the  Christian  Alliance  also  has  begun  a  work  here 
through  the  ministry  of  Rev.  Mr.  Lelacheur,  who,  we  understand,  is  meet- 
ing with  significant  success. 

What  a  pity  it  is  that  this  maritime  center — this  place  where  people 
from  India,  China,  Java,  Malaysia,  and  all  the  civilized  world  congregate — 
is  not  a  stronger  missionary  center  !  What  a  pity  that  the  Malays  of  the 
Straits  have  not  a  single  missionary  devoted  to  them  !  Will  not  God  bear 
this  fact  to  those  who  will  interest  themselves  in  this  people?  Let  us  also 
remember  that  Singapore  is  the  door  to  Anam,  still  destitute  of  the  gospel ; 
also  to  the  Pacific  islands  south  of  the  Straits. 

As  we  walk  through  the  streets  preparatory  to  our  departure,  we  see 
many  strange  and  interesting  sights.  Here  indeed  are  the  Indian  bullocks, 
with  Slender  horns  turned  back,  and  humps  upon  their  shoulders,  attached 
to  primeval  carts  by  a  tongue,  and  a  slender  piece  of  wood  placed  across 
the  foreheads  of  the  pair,  and  tied  to  their  horns  with  cords.  Here  are 
piles  of  delicious  fruit — bananas  a  penny  a  dozen,  oranges,  mangosteins, 
lichis,  pineapples,  papayas,  pomelos,  and  other  varieties  equally  cheap. 

Here  are  opium  dens,  guilds,  club-rooms,  and  palaces  that  open  into 
the  mouth  of  hell.  But  what  is  this?  A  crowd  is  gathered  down  beside 
the  water,  at  the  left  of  a  canal  bridge  which  I  have  just  crossed.  The 
people  jostle  each  other,  pushing  forward  to  look  at  an  object  upon  the 
sand  ;  then  they  step  back,  expressions  of  horror  and  pity  passing  over 


UNDER    THE  SOUTHERN   CROSS. 


85 


even  their  faces.  It  is  the  body  of  a  baby  girl  which  some  one  has  drawn 
out  of  the  water.  It  lies  upon  the  straw  matting  in  which  it  was  wrapped  ; 
the  flesh  is  brown,  indicating  that  it  was  a  native  ;  it  is  bloated,  showing 
that  it  had  been  in  the  water  some  time.  It  looks  as  though  it  might  have 
been  six  weeks  old.  Did  it  die  a  natural  death,  and  the  mother  consign  it 
to  the  canal  to  float  out  into  the  sea,  as  the  easiest  disposition  that  she 
could  make  of  it?  or  did  she  count  its  life  of  little  value,  and  take  this 
means  to  end  it  ?  In  either  case  the  true  mother  heart  was  wanting.  Dear 
mother,  when  you  revolt  at  this  picture,  ask  if  God  would  not  like  to  have 
you  help  send  a  missionary  to  Singapore. 


CHAPTER  X. 


OFF  FOR  CALCUTTA. 


E  succeeded  in  getting  passage  upon  the  "  Ara- 
toon  Apcar."  The  captain,  Mr.  J.  Spence,  is 
a  very  genial  man  of  thirty-eight  or  forty  years, 
who  dresses  in  pongee,  topped  with  the  regula- 
tion cap.  He  is  not  afraid  of  missionaries  or 
ministers,  is  pleased  to  talk  with  both  upon 
religious  topics,  and  never  shrinks  —  unless  the 
conversation  takes  a  personal  turn.  He  gave 
us  free  access  to  his  private  state-room,  filled 
with  curios  from  Japan,  China,  and  "all  along 
the  shore."  Nothing  seems  to  please  him 
more  than  to  have  us  gather  around  the  piano 
in  his  room  and  sing  gospel  hymns.  Captain 
Spence  is  a  gentleman,  and  we  shall  not  soon 
forget  him  or  his  devoted  dog  "  Punch." 

The  "Mirzapore"  sailed  Wednesday  after- 
noon. As  she  passed,  we  had  a  glimpse  of  the  Greenlees,  who  were  going 
on  her  to  Penang  and  Ceylon,  where  they  would  change  ships  for  Calcutta. 
We  sailed  in  the  evening,  reaching  Penang  early  Friday  morning,  and 
dropped  anchor  near  the  "  Mirzapore, "  which  preceded  us  only  a  few  mo- 
ments. Soon  we  saw  our  old  friends,  with  their  friend  Mrs.  Wilson,  going 
in  a  boat  toward  the  shore. 

The  city  of  Penang  has  grown  out  to  the  water's  edge,  and  from  our 
ship  it  appeared  quite  picturesque.     The  population  numbers  perhaps  sixty 
thousand.      Malays,   Tamils,   and   Chinese  predominate,   though  there  are 
[86] 


CHOT/-HAZIRI. 


OFF  FOR    CALCUTTA.  87 

some  Europeans.  The  Chinese  are  the  most  industrious  and  wealthy.  A 
Chinaman,  with  his  family,  sailed  from  this  port  to  Calcutta  with  us,  and 
we  found  him  possessed  of  culture  as  well  as  wealth. 

The  general  appearance  of  Penang  is  much  like  that  of  Singapore.  Out- 
side the  town  are  forests  of  tropical  plants  and  trees.  Five  miles  out  is  the 
waterfall,  tumbling  down  a  mountain-side  twenty-five  hundred  feet.  Here  is 
an  English  colony.  The  entire  island  is  about  fifteen  by  twelve  miles.  The 
shore  of  the  mainland  toward  the  east  is  covered  with  cocoa-nut  palms,  as 
are  the  islands  all  about ;  and  here  I  learned  for  the  first  time  that  cocoa- 
nuts  grow  only  in  a  sea  atmosphere.  Some  mission  work  has  been  done 
here,  though  very  inadequate  to  the  needs  !  The  harvest  is  great,  but  the 
laborers  are  few  at  Penang. 

We  steamed  out  of  Penang  harbor  on  Saturday  afternoon  ;  but  before 
proceeding  far,  our  ship  was  obliged  to  stop  on  account  of  difficulty  with 
her  engines.  After  about  twelve  hours'  delay,  it  was  with  thankful  hearts 
that  we  proceeded  on  our  way,  for  we  had  begun  to  feel  keenly  what  it 
means  to  be  helpless  upon  the  sea.  Everything  favored  the  rest  of  our 
voyage  to  Calcutta,  a  distance  of  over  twelve  hundred  miles. 

Among  our  fellow-passengers  were  three  missionaries  for  Asam, — two 
brothers  by  the  name  of  Moore,  and  the  wife  of  one  of  them.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Moore  had  labored  in  the  field  eleven  years,  but  had  just  been  to 
America  to  rest,  and  to  leave  their  only  daughter  to  be  educated.  I  per- 
ceived their  spirit  of  Christian  heroism  when  Mrs.  Moore  told  me  that 
probably  the  life  of  her  dear  child  would  be  henceforth  in  a  great  measure 
separated  from  that  of  the  parents  ;  but  that  they  had  committed  her  to 
God.  Mr.  Moore's  brother,  younger  than  himself,  was  going  out  as  a 
new  missionary.  They  are  under  the  Baptist  Union,  and  gave  me  con- 
siderable information  concerning  the  work  in  Asam. 

Mr.  Moore  told  me  that  there  are  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  thou- 
sand people  in  his  district ;  but  that,  while  twenty-five  thousand  of  them 
may  have  heard  the  gospel,  he  thinks  that  not  more  than  two  or  three 
hundred  could  tell  him  what  Christianity  means;  and  that  he  never  talked 
with  one  outside  of  the  Christian  community  who  was  able  to  do  it.  Tne 
religion  of  the  Hindus  is  so  entirely  a  form  that  it  is  with  much  difficulty 
that  they  are  made  to  understand  a  religion  which  requires  a  change  of 


88  IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

character.     The  ideas  of  this  brother  suggest  not  only  evangelization,  but 
Christianization  as  well. 

LORD'S    DAY. 

The  twenty-first  day  of  December  was  one  of  delight  and  blessing  to  us. 
In  the  morning  we  gathered  upon  the  upper  deck,  under  our  generous  awn- 
ing. The  elder  Mr.  Moore  offered  prayer,  and  led  us  in  the  responsive 
reading  of  the  one  hundred  and  seventh  psalm  ;  and  at  the  close  of  his 
prayer  all  joined  in  the  Lord's  prayer.  The  younger  Mr.  Moore  read  the  last 
half  of  Hebrews  n,  and  Mr.  Sandford  offered  prayer,  after  which  I  spoke 
to  the  little  company  from  Heb.  n  :  24-27.  The  Lord  blessed  the  service, 
and  made  us  glad  all  the  day.  Our  services  were  interspersed  with  the 
good  old  hymns:  "Nearer  My  God  to  Thee,"  "Rock  of  Ages,"  "I  Need 
Thee  every  Hour,"  and  "My  Faith  Looks  up  to  Thee."  These  things 
brought  to  our  mind  the  fact  that  God  is  the  same  the  world  over,  and  that 
he  is  "not  far  from  every  one  of  us." 

PASSING  EVENTS  AND  CHRISTMAS. 

Our  manner  of  life  on  the  "  Aratoon  Apcar"  was  after  the  Indian  style,— 
a  morning  bath,  five  meals  and  lunches,  with  an  introduction  to  red  ants 
and  other  insects.  On  the  first  morning  I  was  awakened  by  these  words, 
spoken  in  a  soft  and  subdued  tone  :  "Gentleman  have  tea?  Have  tea, 
mister?"  and  looking  up,  I  saw  a  Bengali  boy  standing  at  the  head  of  my 
berth  with  my  chotd-haziri  which  consisted  of  tea  and  toast.  Chota-haziri 
means  "a  little  breakfast"  which  in  India  is  served  to  one  before  or  at  the 
time  of  rising.  Indian  curries,  dips,  and  seasonings  had  already  begun  to 
gratify  my  taste  ;  I  did  draw  the  line,  however,  at  holwa,  a  cheese  made  of 
camel's  milk  and  sugar  boiled  together. 

The  long,  comfortable  days  afforded  much  time  for  writing,  and  the 
nights,  for  restful  sleep.  I  was  usually  sung  to  sleep  by  some  friendly  crickets 
that  made  their  tryst  near  my  door,  and  was  awakened  either  by  a  canary 
which  hung  at  the  end  of  the  corridor  or  by  my  Bengali  steward.  One 
morning  I  got  up  at  three  o'clock  to  look  for  the  first  time  upon  the  South- 
ern Cross.  When  I  first  saw  it,  just  above  the  horizon,  it  was  much  in- 
clined ;  but  as  it  rose  in  the  sky,  it  took  a  more  upright  position.  Long  I 


OFF  FOR    CALCUTTA.  89 

gazed  upon  this  beautiful  constellation,  which  seemed  to  me  the  emblem  of 
immortality, — dead  to  self  and  alive  to  Him  who  reigns  forever. 

We  had  hoped  to  spend  Christmas  in  Calcutta,  but  the  breakdown  of 
our  ship's  engine  had  delayed  us  one  day  ;  and  Christmas  Eve  finds  us  still 
upon  the  Bay  of  Bengal.  The  sun  goes  down,  round,  red,  and  brassy,  the 
moon  having  already  risen  in  the  east,  silvery,  and  almost  at  her  full.  Yes, 
it  is  Christmas  Eve  !  There  is  no  snow,  no  Christmas-tree,  no  merry  ex- 
pectant eyes  about  us  ;  but  it  is  the  time  celebrated  as  the  anniversary  of 
our  Saviour's  birth.  At  home  the  shop  windows  are  full  ;  there  are  church 
services  ;  the  children  are  made  happy  ;  and  dear  ones  long  absent  return. 
What  joy  !  My  heart  turns  to  Him  who  gave  it  all,  more  fervently  perhaps 
than  as  if  I  were  in  the  midst  of  those  blessings  ;  and  while  at  home  the 
bells  peal  merrily  across  the  snow,  here  upon  the  tropical  seas  I  thank  God 
for  the  Prince  of  peace,  and  feel  the  mighty  assurance  that  he  soon  shall 
reign  in  the  heathen  lands  that  I  have  lately  visited,  and  in  the  dear  India 
now  so  near  to  us. 

Next  morning  we  came  to  the  Pilot  brig  "  Sarsute  ;  "  our  good-natured 
pilot  came  aboard,  and  on  we  went  to  the  mouth  of  the  Hooghly,  accom- 
panied by  a  cloud  of  sea-gulls  with  their  plaintive  cry.  To  our  right  lay 
Gunga  Saugor  Island,  flat  and  sandy,  with  the  jungle  in  the  distance.  Im- 
mense white  pelicans  stalked  about  the  shore  near  the  water  ;  a  high  stockade 
surrounded  the  light-house  and  the  bungalows,  to  protect  the  inhabitants 
from  tigers,  which  are  very  abundant  here.  From  the  top  of  a  flag-staff 
bunting  was  flying  in  honor  of  Christmas.  We  anchored  here  until  morn- 
ing :  for  the  shifting  sands  of  the  river  make  it  very  dangerous,  and  we 
must  needs  wait  for  daylight  to  wind  our  way  to  the  "city  of  palaces." 

In  the  meantime  the  steward  had  not  forgotten  that  it  was  Christmas, 
and  an  elaborate  dinner  did  honor  to  the  occasion.  After  many  delicious 
courses  a  great  three-storied  fruit-cake — a  sort  of  "Tower  of  Babel'1  was 
brought  on.  It  was  covered  with  frosting,  and  decorated  with  the  union 
jack,  four  flags  of  the  ship's  company,  and  several  strings  of  bunting — all 
upon  a  small  scale.  I  begged  leave  to  add  a  tiny  American  flag  of  silk,  so 
small  that  I  carried  it  in  my  pocket-book,  which  my  little  girl  had  given 
me  on  leaving  home.  This,  to  my  mind,  completed  the  decoration.  Being 
requested  by  the  passengers  to  express  to  the  captain  our  appreciation  of 


90  IN   THE   PATH   OF  LIGHT. 

his  courtesy  and  faithfulness,  I  did  so  very  heartily,  after  which  we  sam- 
pled the  "Tower  of  Babel,"  which  was  not  a  confusion  of  tongues,  but  of 
delicacies.  Among  the  hospitalities  of  the  board  were  wines  and  liquors 
furnished  by  our  host,  but  I  am  glad  to  say  that  not  one  American  at  the 
table  partook  of  them  ;  and  I  think  they  were  thought  none  the  less  of  on 
that  account. 

The  day  did  not  pass  without  many  thoughts  of  those  at  home,  and  of 
Him  whose  wonderful  sacrifice  had  made  it  one  of  peace  to  thousands 
of  hearts.  I  fell  asleep  at  length,  amid  the  jolly  songs  of  officers  and 
men  in  the  port-alley,  toward  the  prow,  and  the  cheerful  chirping  of  the 
crickets  at  my  door. 

December  26  we  weighed  anchor  and  resumed  our  course  toward  Cal- 
cutta. The  river  is  winding  and  muddy  ;  and  we  must  twist  in  and  out  to 
avoid  sand-bars,  sometimes  hugging  one  shore  and  then  the  other.  Mean- 
while, all  seems  nearly  as  familiar  to  us  as  though  we  had  been  here  before; 
palm-trees,  the  jungle,  the  straw-thatched,  mud-walled  huts,  the  naked 
people — all  these  features  of  India  have  been  faithfully  depicted  to  us. 
Now  we  stop  at  Garden  Reach  for  the  tide  to  turn,  now  pass  some  Arab 
dhows,  now  meet  a  ship  loaded  with  camels;  here  are  the  Botanical 
Gardens,  there  the  palace  built  for  the  mutinous  king  of  Oudh  ;  and  at 
length,  after  a  "  searching  "  investigation  by  the  custom-house  officer,  we 
are  at  our  moorings  —  Calcutta  at  last. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


CALCUTTA. 


ALCUTTA,  the  capital  of  the  great  empire  of  India, 
—  presented  to  us  many  features  of  interest.  It  is 
called  the  palace  city,  yet,  while  it  has  many  beauti- 
ful buildings,  I  do  not  think  that  it  equals  Bombay  in 
this  respect.  Doubtless  it  is  called  the  palace  city  because  the  government 
house  is  there  ;  or  perhaps  it  received  its  name  before  the  other  cities  were 
as  palatial  as  now. 

The  government  house,  which  is  really  a  palace,  is  situated  on  the  north 
side  of  the  esplanade,  in  the  midst  of  six  or  eight  acres  of  beautiful 
grounds.  The  Town-hall,  the  Legislative  Council-chamber,  the  High  Court, 
the  Small-cause  court,  the  Treasury,  the  Currency  Office,  the  Telegraph 
Office,  the  General  post-office,  the  Custom-house,  hospitals, —  all  these, 
with  school,  college,  and  university  buildings,  and  the  Dalhousie  Insti- 


1)2  IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 

tute,  present  a  scene  quite  European.  Add  to  this  the  government  officials 
and  the  rich  merchants,  with  their  families,  which  are  met  under  various 
circumstances,  and  some  might  perhaps  naturally  ask,  What  is  the  need  of 
sending  missionaries  to  India?  But  one  need  only  get  a  look  from  the  old 
Lai  Bazaar  Chapel,  where  Carey  and  Judson  have  stood,  and  watch  the 
scenes  about  it ;  visit  the  bustis,  or  native  villages,  all  about  between  the 
streets,  where  the  common  people  are  crowded  together  in  straw  or  mud 
huts,  and  filth  abounds;  and  then  think  of  the  regions  beyond,  where,  in 
city  and  jungle,  idolatry  reigns  with  its  degradation,  to  feel  the  need  of 
missionaries. 

We  went  to  the  Lai  Bazaar  Coffee-rooms,  under  the  direction  of  the 
Methodist  Mission,  and  superintended  by  Mr.  George  Henderson,  a  young 
man  remarkably  well-fitted  for  this  position.  Here  we  met  Mr.  Conklin, 
the  manager  of  the  Indian  Witness,  who,  with  his  good  wife,  has  charge  of 
the  domestic  affairs  of  this  home.  They  were  all  very  kind  to  us.  Mr. 
Benjamin  Aitkin,  an  Anglo-Indian  who  has  traveled  in  Ame'rica  and  the 
East,  and  is  at  present  editor  of  a  Calcutta  paper  or  magazine,  makes  his 
home  here  ;  and  we  found  in  him  a  man  well  qualified  to  tell  us  much 
about  the  condition  of  India  from  the  several  standpoints  of  nature, 
government,  and  religion. 

Good  Bishop  Thoburn,  learning  that  we  were  at  the  coffee-rooms,  in- 
sisted that  I  should  make  his  home  mine  while  in  Calcutta.  This  was  in- 
deed pleasant  and  profitable,  for  the  bishop  was  able  to  give  much  valuable 
information  concerning  the  history  and  outlook  of  this  great  mission  field. 
No  one  can  be  with  this  man  without  perceiving  that  he  is  possessed  of 
deep  spiritual  life  as  well  as  large  executive  ability. 

IN  AND  ABOUT  CALCUTTA. 

Kali-Ghat  (the  landing-place  of  Kali  the  goddess),  is  the  name  from 
which  Calcutta  is  derived.  Here,  upon  a  branch  of  the  sacred  Ganges, 
are  some  of  the  most  noted  temples  in  India.  They  are  old,  and  fast  fall- 
ing into  ruin;  but  the  people  flock  there  to  worship  the  black  goddess,  and 
to  bathe  in  the  river.  This  goddess  Kali  has  eyes  of  diamonds,  and  a 
necklace  of  human  bones.  She  is  called  the  blood-thirsty  goddess,  and  is 
represented  as  standing  upon  her  husband,  with  her  tongue  protruding. 


CALCUTTA. 


93 


Like  almost  every  other  traveler  to  Calcutta,  I  visited  the  temple  of 
Kali-Ghat.  Though  early  in  the  morning,  already  a  crowd  of  women  and 
children  — pilgrims  — 
were  waiting  for  the 
dingy,  dilapidated 
temple  to  open. 
Some  of  them  looked 
very  weary,  but  many, 
huddled  into  groups, 
were  chanting  their 
hymns.  Close  by,  in 
a  court,  the  sacrifices 
are  offered,  and  the 
pools  of  blood  about 
the  yoke  into  which 
the  neck  is  thrust,  and 
from  which  the  head 
is  severed  by  a  single 
blow,  showed  that 

•  r-  -i      j  ii  BURNING  GHAT. 

sacrifices  had  recently 

been  slain.  Here  for  the  first  time  I  beheld  that  most  revolting  emblem 
of  Siva,  decorated  with  wreaths  of  marigold.  No  wonder  the  people  are 
licentious  and  corrupt  when  such  a  shrine  is  their  favorite.  Down  in  the 
muddy  current  of  the  river,  men  and  women  bathe,  wash  their  sacred 
strings,  drink  the  water,  and  throw  out  upon  its  surface  garlands  of  flowers ; 
and  as  they  come  out,  they  say,  "free  from  sin!  "  Sitting  in  the  middle 
of  the  streets,  here  and  there,  are  "holy  men,"  rubbing  their  bodies  with 
ashes. 

A  short  distance  down  the  river  stands  a  small  temple  of  Siva,  and  in 
the  court  is  a  place  where  the  dead  are  burned.  Durga  is  said  to  be  Siva's 
first  wife;  Kali,  his  second;  Ganges,  his  third.  This,  you  see,  is  a  most 
sacred  place  in  the  Siva  mythology;  but  to  us  this  introduction  to  Hindu- 
ism was  most  revolting.  God  help  its  deluded  votaries! 

Dr.  Penticost's  meetings,  in  progress  in  Calcutta  at  that  time,  were 
largely  attended.  His  address  on  Christianity  in  the  city-hall  before  mem- 


94 


IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


bers  of  the  Indian  Congress  was  very  strong,  and  was  listened  to  with 
marked  attention  by  Indians,  Eurasians,  English,  and  Americans.  Hon. 
W.  S.  Caine,  M.  P. /presided,  and  Mr.  Stebbins  conducted  the  singing. 
This  work  must  certainly  have  an  influence  on  the  natives  who  listened. 
Those  who  attended  were  largely  the  educated  baboos. 

The  Doremus  work  here,  as  in  Japan,  has  sent  its  roots  deep  into  the 
native  soil,  and  spreads  out  a  grateful  shelter  over  its  refugees,  of  which 


PALM  AVENUE,  BOTANICAL  GARDEN. 

there  is  a  goodly  number.  Miss  Hook,  Miss  Gardiner,  Miss  Easton,  and 
Miss  Dr.  Earnest  are  all  keenly  alive  to  their  work. 

In  Dhurrumtollah  we  heard  Bishop  Thoburn  preach  a  searching  ser- 
mon to  natives,  Eurasians,  and  foreigners.  This  church  is  the  place  where 
much  of  the  bishop's  Calcutta  work  has  been  accomplished;  and  it  is  a 
place  where  God  has  often  met  the  people. 

We  felt  richly  repaid  by  a  visit  to  the  Botanical  Gardens  of  Calcutta. 
Among  the  beautiful  shrubs,  ponds  of  water,  tropical  plants,  and  trees,  our 
attention  was  especially  drawn  to  a  long  avenue,  with  a  row  of  stately 
palms  upon  each  side,  aH  about  the  same  height  and  size.  At  the  end  of 
the  avenue  a  fountain  threw  lip  its  sparkling  spray.  The  great  banyan- 


CALCUTTA. 


95 


tree — the  largest  in  the  world  —  was  equally  attractive.  It  is  one  hun- 
dred years  old;  the  circumference  of  the  trunk  is  forty-two  feet,  and  that 
of  the  crown  eight  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  It  had  two  hundred  and  thirty- 
two  aerial  roots  in  October,  1886,  and  has  now  many  more,  as  it  is  con- 
tinually throwing  its  branches  down  into  the  earth. 

Going  with  Mr.  Conkling  on  board  the  ships  in  the  river  to  invite  officers 
and  crews  to  attend  divine  service,  we  found  two  ships  from  the  old  "  Pine- 


THE  GREAT  BANYAN-TREE. 

tree  State," — the  "I.  L.  Skolfield "  and  the  "Governor  Robie."  Captain 
George  Skolfield,  of  Brunswick,  commanded  the  former ;  and  Captain 
Nichols,  of  Searsport,  the  latter.  Their  families  were  aboard,  and  we 
enjoyed  a  bara-haziri1  with  the  Skolfield  family,  having  real  "Boston 
brown  bread"  and  New  England  "doughnuts,"  along  with  pleasant  remi- 
niscences of  home.  The  ship  service  on  Sunday,  conducted  by  Mr. 
Sandford,  was  profitable.  We  were  permitted  to  speak  several  times  at 
the  Seamen's  Mission,  and  know  that  at  least  one  soul  was  convicted  of 
his  sins  in  consequence. 

The  time  had  now  come  for  us  to  start  on  our  tour  among  our  mission 
stations  in  Bengal  and  Orissa.     Rev.   M.   C.   Miner  of    Midnapore,   had 

1  Big  breakfast 


96  /Ar  THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 

helped  us  arrange  our  plans  so  that  we  could  go  through  the  field,  visit  all 
the  principal  stations,  and  end  up  with  the  yearly  meeting  at  Midnapore, 
where  we  would  meet  most  of  the  missionaries  and  native  workers  from  the 
entire  field.  This  meeting  had  been  put  off  in  order  that  we  might  be  in 
attendance. 

We  decided  to  go  first  to  Chandbali,  the  most  distant  station,  and  work 
our  way  back  through  the  field  to  Midnapore ;  thence  to  Calcutta,  where 
we  would  take  the  train  to  cross  the  continent.  It  is  two  hundred  miles 
from  Calcutta  to  Chandbali  by  water,  and  we  took  passage  on  the  "  Sea 
Gull,"  a  craft  well  adapted  to  shallow  water  and  pilgrims,  while  a  limited 
number  of  ''globe-trotters"  could  be  quite  comfortably  entertained. 
However,  we  had  no  fault  to  find. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD. 


UESDAY  evening,  December 
30,  we  said  good-by  to  our 
kind  friends  of  Calcutta, 

DAK  BUNGALOW,  MARKUNDA. 

brother  Miner  and  his  faith- 
ful khansuma  (caterer,  or  cook) — who,  by  the  way,  was  his  first  convert 
in  India — and  came  on  board  the  "  Sea  Gull,"  to  make  ready  for  an  early 
morning  start  down  the  Hooghly.  That  1  was  really  so  near  to  the  mission 
field  for  which  I  had  labored  and  prayed  so  many  years  ;  and  that  I  was  to 
visit  the  field,  and  see  the  missionaries  at  their  work,  and  the  converts  that 
had  been  made,  and  perhaps  preach  to  the  people  myself — all  this  I  could 
hardly  realize. 

On  this  voyage  from  Calcutta  to  Chandbali,  my  mind  was  naturally  led  to 
recall  the  inception  and  progress  of  our  work  in  the  field  which  I  was  about 
7  [971 


98  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

to  visit.  The  mission  in  Bengal  and  Orissa  was  formerly  in  the  hands  of  the 
General  Baptists  of  England.  On  April  13,  1832,  there  appeared  in  the 
Morning  Star,  a  letter  written  by  Rev.  Amos  Sutton,  D.  D.,  a  mission- 
ary of  the  English  General  Baptists.  It  was  written  at  Puri,  and  set  forth 
the  terrible  practices  connected  with  the  worship  of  Jagurnath,  and  ap- 
pealed to  the  Free  Baptists  of  America  to  come  over  and  help  them.  This 
came  about,  under  the  hand  of  God,  through  Mr.  Button's  second  wife, 
who  was  the  widow  of  an.  American  Baptist  missionary,  Rev.  James  Col- 
man,  who  had  died  in  Burmah.  She  informed  Mr.  Sutton  that  the 
American  Free  Baptists  were  like  the  English  General  Baptists,  and  in- 
duced him  to  write  this  letter;  but,  as  she  could  not  remember  where  the 
Morning  Star — the  leading  paper  of  the  Free  Baptist  denomination  — 
was  published,  it  was  laid  aside  for  months.  After  a  while  a  copy  of  this 
paper  reached  them  wrapped  around  a  package  sent  from  England. 

This  letter  needed  but  to  be  published  to  find  a  response;  and  in  the  au- 
tumn of  1832  it  was  decided  by  the  Free  Baptists  to  organize  a  Foreign 
Mission  Society,  which  was  done  at  North  Parsonfield,  Maine.  An  act  of 
incorporation  was  obtained  from  the  Maine  Legislature,  and  approved 
Jan.  29,  1833.  Soon  after  this  Dr.  Sutton  came  to  America,  and  not  only 
did  much  that  interested  the  Free  Baptists  in  his  mission,  but  induced  the 
Baptists  to  begin  their  mission  to  the  Telugus.  He  took  back  with  him 
Mr.  Day,  their  first  missionary  to  that  field,  and  the  Reverands  Eli  Noyes 
and  Jeremiah  Phillips,  with  their  wives,  of  the  Free  Baptist  Church,  to 
his  own  field. 

It  was  the  expectation  of  the  Free  Baptists  to  cooperate  with  the  General 
Baptists,  but  in  1838  the  missionaries  having  charge  of  the  Balasore  dis- 
trict turned  it  over  to  the  Free  Baptists,  and  went  back  to  England.  In  1844 
the  Midnapore  district  was  also  transferred,  leaving  the  Free  Baptists 
responsible  for  a  territory  containing  seven  thousand  square  miles,  having 
for  its  southeastern  boundary  the  mouth  of  the  Hooghly  and  the  Bay  of 
Bengal,  and  a  population  of  over  three  and  a  half  million.  For  nearly 
six  decades  this  church  has  carried  on  work  in  this  field,  and  the  good  ac- 
complished for  the  home  church  during  this  time  cannot  be  estimated. 
Who  shall  say  that  the  paper  wrapped  about  the  package  sent  to  Dr.  Sutton 
from  England  was  not  divinely  directed  ? 


^ 

ihinarli*    1  •K«nd»gh*^_      ShtflyaJ 
r  "  '_  •Stutrfi-amT^fi^    a,Ma 


Mirzapoor   Kotulpur     V    -B 

SbaiD e <w>iwJur  f-yiA -./: ..j* 
^'•••".....>Cur    \J»HAN»M 


^..^         's^      'v;     \':%     'y.    V"f\i^\     ^      '^ 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD.  99 

Amid  such  reflections  as  these  ;  snatches  of  conversation  with  the  chief 
engineer, —  a  miracle  of  grace,  converted  through  Bishop  Thoburn's  preach- 
ing, whom  we  had  met  before  at  the  Bishop's,  —  and  the  chanting  of  hymns 
by  the  Puri  pilgrims  on  the  lower  deck,  we  sailed  across  the  head  of  the 
Bay  of  Bengal.  The  poor  pilgrims  were  a  superstitious  lot.  Night  and 
day  some  held  one  arm,  others  both  arms,  above  their  heads, —  a  vow- 
keeping  pledge, —  the  position  never  to  be  changed  until  the  vow  was  ac- 
complished. In  some  cases  the  fingers  are  kept  pressed  into  the  hands 
until  the  nails  grow  deep  into  the  flesh.  All  this  as  an  attempt  to  get  free 
from  the  guilt  of  sin  !  Alas  ! 

" Do  bam  ek  Hat!"  "Do  bam  ek  Belash  "  !  "  Do-o  ba-a-m  ek  Bela- 
a-a-sh.'"  These  were  the  exclamations  uttered  by  the  native  throwing  the 
lead,  as  we  approached  the  mouth  of  the  Dhumrah  River.  The  sun  having 
some  time  before  this  wrapped  himself  in  his  mantle  of  purple  and  gold, 
the  stars  had  tried  in  vain  to  light  our  way.  The  strange  language  of  the 
native  was  incomprehensible  to  us ;  but  it  was  followed  by  still  stranger 
language  from  the  captain,  as  he  rushed  to  the  wheel  in  night-robe  and 
slippers ;  but  this  we  had  no  difficulty  in  understanding.  The  Indian 
sounder  had  said:  "Two  fathoms  one  hand!  Two  fathoms  one-half 
hand  !  "  What  the  captain  said  would  not  add  to  the  character  of 
this  book. 

We  were  in  a  shoal  place,  a  little  out  of  the  track,  and  must  wait  for 
the  tide  to  come  in.  It  looked  as  if  we  should  not  reach  Chandbali  until 
considerably  after  midnight,  perhaps  not  until  near  morning;  and  conclud- 
ing that  I  was  better  off  asleep  than  watching  Hindu  pilgrims,  or  trying  to 
trace  the  constellations  bending  low  from  the  Indian  sky,  I  "  turned  in  " 
and  slept  soundly ;  after  being  assured  that  the  green  lizards,  which  slipped 
so  noiselessy  about  my  little  room  spearing  flies,  would  not  spear  me. 

CHANDBALI. 

How  we  got  up  the  river  I  do  not  know;  but  I  was  awakened  by  the 
rattle  of  chains,  the  heavy  stroke  of  feet  as  some  one  jumped  aboard,  and  a 
voice  which  I  had  not  heard  sinee,  more  than  three  years  before,  when  in 
Boston  harbor,  the  "  Pavonia  "swung  out  into  the  stream,  and  we  tried  to 
sing,  "  God  Be  with  You  till  We  Meet  Again."  It  was  Mr.  Brown.  The 


100 


IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


meeting  was  as  full  of  joy,  as  the  parting  had  been  of  triumphant  tears; 
but  I  decided  to  stay  aboard  until  daybreak,  though  Mr.  Brown  and  Mr. 
Sandford  went  ashore  to  the  mission  house. 

I  received  a  hearty  welcome  on  going  ashore  in  the  morning.  The 
native  Christians  were  full  of  joy  to  meet  us.  Ram  Jena,  the  native  pastor, 
came  and  took  our  hands  between  his,  and,  with  the  tears  coursing  down 
his  cheeks,  he  said,  ''We  heard  of  you,  but  we  did  not  see  you  with  our 
eyes;  now  you  come,  and  we  are  glad."  In  other  places,  but  especially 
here,  we  had  to  answer  many  questions  about  Mr.  Coldren,  who  was  in 
charge  of  this  station,  but  whom  I  had  seen  last  in  America,  where  he  was 
taking  a  furlough. 

The  time  passed  at  Chandbali  was  all  too  brief.  We  attended  preaching 
in  the  bazaar  and  in  the  market,  also  the  exhibition  given  by  two  hundred 
and  fifty  school  children,  attended  by  their  fourteen  teachers.  Probably 
four  hundred  people  were  present  to  witness  this  occasion.  The  children 


SCHOOLS  AT  CHANDBALI  MISSION  HOUSE. 


repeated  Scripture  and  sang ;  Ram  Jena  offered  prayer,  and  made  an  ad- 
dress. He  spoke  of  Christmas  and  New  Years,  and  their  significance. 
He  reminded  them  that  it  was  God's  mercy  that  had  kept  them  ;  that  he 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD. 


101 


also  had  given  them  rain  and  rice,  and   that  he  desired  their  love.     The 
annual  report  was  read,  and  the  prizes  distributed.     The  establishment  of 
this   station  is   comparatively   recent  ;   the   section  is  low  and  jungly,   the 
villages     about     being 
reached   for  the  most 
part  by  boats.      Those 
present  at   the   school 
exhibition    were    very 
intelligent    in    appear- 
ance, and  gracious  in 
manners. 

The  conversion  of 
Ram  Jena,  the  native 
pastor,  was  quite  re- 
markable. H  e  was 
fitting  himself  to  be- 
come a  "holy  man" 
professionally;  but 
while  hearing  Dr.  J.  L.  Phillips  preach  in  the  bazaar,  he  was  converted 
almost  instantaneously.  This  conversion  proved  to  be  thorough,  for  he 
is  a  true  man  of  God,  as  his  work  shows. 

We  took  dinner  with  him  in  the  native  fashion.  It  was  not  without  its 
aches,  although  hardly  anything  could  be  more  novel.  Dinner  ready,  we 
crossed  our  legs,  and  settled  down  on  them  upon  a  thin  straw  matting  under 
the  stoop  of  the  mud-walled,  straw-thatched  hut.  We  sat  on  our  legs  an  hour, 
and  ate  our  food  from  our  fingers.  No  women  enlivened  our  company  ;  ac- 
cording to  the  customs  of  the  country  they  served  inside,  while  our  host,  with 
two  assistants,  brought  our  food.  Our  plates  were  five  or  six  leaves  fastened 
together  with  sticks.  Upon  one  side  of  these  leaves  was  placed  a  pinch  of 
rather  coarse  salt ;  then  hot  boiled  rice  was  heaped  in  the  middle  of  them 
with  the  hands  of  our  host  ;  into  the  middle  of  this  was  poured  warm  dhal 
(stewed  split  peas)  ;  curried  mutton  was  placed  near  this,  and  then  egg- 
plant. All  this  was  mixed  up  with  the  fingers.  Then  came  the  process  of 
getting  it  into  the  mouth  without  spoons  or  knives  and  forks.  We  managed 
it  somehow,  for  our  rice  et  cetera  disappeared,  and  we  probably  ate  what 


PASTOR  RAM  JENA  AND  FAMILY. 


102 


IN   THE  PA  TH   OF  LIGHT. 


was  not  found  lodged  on  the  straw  matting  and  in  our  clothing.  A  glass  of 
milk  was  given  to  each  of  us,  and  then  came  the  mitha  which  is  the  con- 
fectionery of  India.  The  natives  seem  to  relish  it  as  well  as  an  American 
would  the  choicest  bon  bons.  It  is  made  of  rice,  flour,  sugar,  and  ghee, 
or  clarified  butter.  Perhaps  I  should  like  it  if  I  remained  in  India  long 
enough;  but  since  that  New- Year's  dinner  I  have  begged  to  be  excused 

from  mitha.  Dinner  over,  our  host 
brought  a  lotah  of  water,  which  he 
poured  upon  our  hands  over  another 
dish,  and  we  dried  them  upon  a  few 
yards  of  cotton  cloth,  which  was 
passed  around.  An  hour  was  then 
passed  devotionally.  We  sang  gospel 
songs  in  English  and  in  Oriya,  and 
earnest  prayer  went  up  to  God  from 
nearly  all  present.  It  was  a  great 
privilege  to  eat  and  worship  with 
these  people  saved  from  the  supersti- 
tions and  idolatry  of  heathenism,  and 
we  thanked  God  for  it  ;  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  our  legs  were 
very  stiff  when  we  tried  to  stand,  and  the  shrieks  of  the  jackals  in  the  jun- 
gle drowned  some  of  our  songs. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hallam1  had  just  returned  to  the  field,  and  were  to  take 
up  the  work  at  Chandbali  until  Mr.  Coldren's  return.  Their  former  ex- 
perience in  the  field  had  admirably  fitted  them  for  this  position.  The 
mission-house  here,  which  had  been  only  recently  constructed,  we  found 
to  be  one  of  the  best  in  this  territory. 

Our  journey  from  Chandbali  to  Bhudruck,  thirty-three  miles,  was 
made  on  ponies  and  in  bullock-carts.  I  learned  in  India  what  it  means 
for  one  to  take  up  his  bed  and  walk.  In  India  everybody  carries  his  own 
bed  with  him,  and  you  may  judge  of  our  surprise  to  learn,  that  our  first 
investment  must  be  in  a  bed.  Travelers  through  the  country,  except  on  rail- 
roads, must  also  take  along  food,  water,  and  a  cook,  or  go  hungry.  We 

1  Mr.  Coldren  having  since  returned,  Mr.  Hallam  has  begun  a  new  work  at  Contai. 


MR.  AND  MKS.  COLDREN. 


THE  FREE  BAPTIS7   MISSION  FIELD. 


103 


were  compelled  to  have  a  private  retinue  which,  while  it  was  not  as  large 
as  the  Queen  of  Sheba's,  was  sufficient  to  attend  to  our  needs;  so  we 
managed  to  provide  for  ourselves  going  from  one  station  to  another. 
Sometimes  it  numbered  sixteen,  sometimes  ten,  and  sometimes  only  five. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  day  we  were  to  leave  Chandbali,  we  had  our 
chota-haziri  (little  breakfast),  looked  to  God  for  his  guidance,  and  were 
then  ready  to  try  our  balky  ponies.  As  we  waited  a  few  moments,  I 
seemed  to  see  Ram 
Jena  as  God  saw 
him.  He  was  bare- 
headed and  bare- 
footed; a  shawl 
thrown  over  his 
shoulders  partly  con- 
cealed the  cloth 
about  his  limbs;  his 
staff  was  in  his  hand; 
while  the  Holy  Spirit 
lighted  up  his  face, 
—  an  Oriental  face 
indeed,  but  suggest- 
ing to  one,  more  of 
how  the  good  Shep- 
herd might  have 
looked,  than  any 
picture  of  him  that  I  ever  saw.  It  was  a  face  I  shall  not  soon  forget. 

We  left  Chandbali  at  about  seven  in  the  morning,  and  traveled  the  first 
eleven  miles,  over  one  of  the  roughest  roads  imaginable,  in  three  hours. 
Here  we  had  breakfast  and  rested  through  the  heat  of  the  day;  then  went 
out  to  a  little  temple,  where  a  number  of  men  and  boys  gathered  about 
us.  Mr.  Brown  preached  to  them  while  Mr.  Sandford  and  myself  threw 
ourselves  upon  the  grass  to  rest,  and  to  pray  God  to  bring  the  message 
home  to  their  hearts.  I  believe  he  did;  for  we  had  not  been  back  in 
our  bungalow  long  before  they  came  again  to  us,  and  asked  for  more  of 
the  preaching,  and  for  tracts,  saying  that  they  had  never  heard  of  these 


FUEL  CARRIERS. 


104 


IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


things  before.  Can  you  imagine  how  one's  heart  is  thrilled  when  he  goes 
from  those  turning  in  indifference  from  the  gospel  and  its  blessings,  to 
those  eager  to  hear  it?  If  so,  you  can  judge  how  I  felt  that  day.  May 
some  one  hear  the  cry  of  these  souls,  and  carry  God's  message  to  them. 

We  started  for  the  next  bungalow  at  half  past  three  in  the  afternoon, 
and  reached  it  just  after  sunset.  Here  we  found  three  bullock-carts  which 
Mr.  Ager  had  sent  to  take  us  to  Bhudruck.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  delightful 
(?)  the  last  part  of  our  journey  was;  but  perhaps  you  can  imagine  when  I 
say  that  the  road  was  like  a  country  road  in  New  England,  punched  up  by 
travel  after  a  heavy  rain  and  then  frozen;  that  the  bullock-cart  has  no 
springs,  and  that  the  bottom  is  of  bamboo  poles.  However,  my  ride  of 
three  and  a  half  hours  in  this  vehicle  was  one  of  my  pleasantest  experi- 
ences in  India,  not  because  it  was  easy,  but  because  it  required  me  to  lose 
myself  more  completely  in  God.  It  was  one  of  the  "all  things  "  that  came 
under  the  head  of  my  first  resolution. 

BHUDRUCK. 

At  Bhudruck,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ager  gave  us  a  hearty  greeting.  The  ac- 
quisition of  these  missionaries  is  very  fortunate.  They  understand  the 
language  and  the  people ;  besides,  they  are  thoroughly  devoted  to  the 
work.  Mr.  Rae,  the  pastor  of  the  little  church  here,  was  away  when  we 
first  arrived,  but  returned  upon  the  night  of  that  day.  He  interpreted  for 
us  so  freely  that  it  almost  seemed  as  though  we  were  talking  to  the  natives 

ourselves.  On  Sat- 
urday we  went  to  the 
market  with  the 
preachers,  and  at- 
tended the  covenant 
meeting  of  the 
church.  It  was  a 
pleasure  to  attend 
our  first  covenant 
meeting  in  1891  with 
this  little  band  of 
Christians.  Sunday 

MISSION  CHURCH,  BALASORB. 


FHE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD. 


105 


Mr.  Rae  received  one  into  the  church,  and  one  requested  prayers.     In  the 
morning  Mr.  Sandford  and  myself  administered  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  in 


MISSION  HOUSE,  BALASORE. 

the  afternoon  and  evening,  we  preached,  Mr.  Rae  interpreting  ;  we  also 
spoke  in  the  bazaar.  The  day  was  of  special  interest  to  all  of  us. 

When  we  left  this  place,  the  native  workers  and  Mr.  Rae  came  out  a 
short  distance  with  us.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ager  came  down  to  the  river,  where 
the  natives  took  us  across  on  their  shoulders.  My  heart  and  eyes  were 
full  as  our  friends  turned  back  through  the  sand.  As  I  looked  at  this  little 
woman,  refined  and  cultured,  over  thirty  miles  away  from  any  white 
woman,  with  no  society  and  few  home  comforts,  yet  full  of  cheerfulness 
and  faith,  I  got  a  glimpse  of  the  heroism  of  missions. 

The  work  at  Bhudruck  seemed  to  have  an  inspiring  air  about  it.  The 
people,  unlike  those  who  have  heard  the  gospel  again  and  again  and  failed 
to  heed  it,  manifested  an  interest  in  the  message.  The  market  preaching 
drew  a  good  audience,  and  was  characterized  by  considerable  discussion ; 
the  native  workers  were  very  zealous.  A  bungalow  to  live  in  is  greatly 
needed  here  ;  for  it  is  rather  difficult  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ager  to  do  their 
work,  eat,  entertain  callers,  and  hold  religious  services  in  one  room.  I  am 


106 


IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


convinced  that  when  a  new  station  is  opened,  the  work  should  be  pushed 
vigorously  at  this  place.  A  better  time  for  progressive  work  will  probably 
never  come  to  it.  So  I  say,  give  Bhudruck  and  Chandbali  every  pos- 
sible chance  without  delay. 

Monday  morning  we  again  took  up  our  bed  and  moved  on.  Mr.  Guise, 
an  English  inspector  of  police,  very  kindly  loaned  us  his  tom-tom,  for  the 
first  eleven  miles.  Mr.  Brown  rode  his  own  horse.  After  this  stage  we 
were  drawn  over  the  road  by  coolies  for  eleven  miles.  It  took  about 


BOYS'  HIGH-SCHOOL  BUILDING. 

twenty  of  them  to  get  us  along,  and  we  really  had  to  work  our  passage  — 
for  they  were  a  most  lazy  set.  At  dusk  we  reached  our  bungalow,  twenty- 
two  miles  from  Bhudruck,  and  just  half  way  to  Balasore.  To  be  sure  a 
dak  bungalow  is  not  an  elegant  place,  but  it  is  comfortable  and  quite 
indispensable  to  the  traveler  in  India.  It  usually  has  two  bed-rooms,  two 
bath-rooms,  two  tables,  and  two  bedsteads,  a  place  for  cooking,  and  a 
chokidar'who  dusts,  now  and  then,  opens  the  Venetians,  frightens  away  the 
cobras  by  day,  and  the  jackals,  bats,  and  thieves  by  night.  The  bungalow 
at  Soro  was  welcome  that  night.  Our  khansuma  had  arrived  before  us, 

l  One  who  looks  after  the  bungalow  and  grounds,  one  of  his  chief  duties  being  to  drive  the  thieves 
away.  It  is  a  strange  fact  that  he  is  himself  of  the  thief  caste,  thus  fulfilling  the  proverb,  "It  takes  a  thief 
to  catch  a  thief." 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD. 


107 


and  dinner  was  in  preparation.  We  were  quite  ready  for  it,  and  for  rest 
too  ;  and,  dinner  over,  we  were  soon  asleep,  although  the  flying  foxes  had 
found  a  favorite  spot  on  the  thatch  of  our  bungalow.  Why  not?  We  had 
passed  great  flocks  of  vultures,  herds  of  ugly-looking  buffalo,  with  their 
heads  thrown  back  upon  their  shoulders,  great  monkeys,  jackals,  and 
beautiful  antelopes  ;  surely  there  was  nothing  in  the  scratching  and  squeal- 
ing of  a  few  flying  foxes  to  disturb  us — after  our  Venetians  were  fastened. 
Next  morning  the  khansuma  came  in  at  half  past  three,  saying,  "Sahib, 
the  time  is  already  past."  Flow  could  he  know  when  he  had  no  time- 
piece ?  Why  should 
he  wake  us  when  we 
were  so  sleepy  ? 
Just  because  he  was 
told  to,  and  he  was 
faithful.  But  it  was 
trying.  We  were 
not  only  sleepy,  but 
sore  and  stiff  from 
our  journey  from 
Chandbali  to  Bhud- 
ruck  ;  however,  we 
wanted  to  be  in  Ba'la- 
sore  before  noon. 
Dr.  Nellie  Phillips's  M.SS.OH  Hocs«,  BALASORE. 

bullocks  and  gharry  had  arrived  to  take  us  to  the  next  bungalow,  where  we 
would  find  Mrs.  Smith's  sent  out  to  take  us  in.  So  we  took  our  chota- 
haziri  in  haste,  knelt  in  prayer  together,  and  said  good-by  to  Soro. 

How  bright  the  sky  was  that  morning!  And  yet  the  Southern  Cross 
never  seemed  more  beautiful,  in  all  the  times  that  I  saw  it ;  the  morning 
star  shone  with  a  definiteness  and  brilliancy  described  on  the  Christmas 
cards  ;  and  when  we  wrapped  our  blankets  about  ourselves,  and  huddled 
into  the  gharry,  we  wished  that  we  could  sit  out  beneath  the  open  sky  until 
the  stars  faded.  All  along  the  road,  in  this  early  morning-time,  we  saw 
pilgrims  going  to  and  from  Puri,  some  of  whom  had  doubtless  traveled 
many  hundreds  of  miles.  I  could  but  contrast  the  devotion  of  these 
people,  who  go  so  far  to  worship  an  idol,  with  that  of  many  Americans 


108 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT, 


who  will  not  go  half  a  mile  to  worship  Christ,  if  it  is  a  little  hot,  or  rainy, 
or  cold. 

We  reached  the  bungalow  soon  after  seven  in  the  morning,  where  we 
found  Mrs.  Smith's  bullocks  waiting  to  take  us  in,  and  also  a  breakfast 

of  bread  and  butter, 
coffee,  eggs,  and  water, 
which  her  forethought 
had  provided  for  us. 
Our  stay  was  short 
here,  as  we  wanted  to 
reach  our  destination 
before  it  was  very  hot, 
if  possible.  When 
within  a  few  miles  of 
Balasore,  we  saw  the 
stars  and  stripes  float- 
ing from  the  church- 
tower,  and  very  soon 
the  union  jack  beside 
it.  They  were  raised  in  honor  of  our  coming,  and  remained  there  during 
nearly  our  entire  stay.  We  received  a  cordial  welcome  from  Mrs.  Griffin 
and  the  children,  and  from  the  rest  of  the  missionaries.  Mrs.  Griffin,  be- 
ing quite  out  of  health,  was  getting  ready  to  go  to  the  hills  for  a  few 
months  of  necessary  change.  Mr.  Griffin  returned  in  the  afternoon  from 
several  days'  work  at  Jellasore  and  Santipore,  bringing  with  him  Miss 
Coombs,  who  was  to  take  Mrs.  Griffin's  work  during  her  absence.  Mr. 
Boyer,  absent  at  Cuttack  on  mission  business,  returned  that  night. 

At  meal-times  all  the  missionaries  were  frequently  together,  and  upon 
these  occasions  we  had  delightful  seasons  of  prayer.  On  Tuesday  evening 
we  were  all  greatly  blessed  in  a  prayer  and  conference  meeting,  at  Mr. 
Boyer's.  On  Thursday  evening  we  spoke  to  the  people  in  the  church 
through  Mr.  Boyer,  who  also  interpreted  for  us,  to  several  of  the  schools 
which  we  visited. 

Wednesday  evening  we  were  accorded  a  grand  reception  at -the  church, 
gotten  up  entirely  by  the  native  Christians.  On  either  side  of  the  walk 


SINCLAIR  GIRLS'  ORPHANAGE. 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD. 


109 


from  the  street  to  the  church  was  a  line  of  burning  tapers  ;  tapers  also 
illuminated  the  front  of  the  church ;  over  the  gateway  was  the  word 
"Welcome  "in  illumination.  Here  a  committee  met  us  and  ushered  us 
into  the  church,  already  quite  full  of  people  arranged  after  the  Oriental 
style,  sitting  on  their  legs.  Mr.  Griffin  presided  over  the  meeting.  There 
was  prayer;  an 'address  of  welcome  in  Oriya,  and  the  same  in  English  ; 
four  original  hymns  in  Oriya  composed  for  the  occasion  ;  a  presentation  of 
an  Oriya  Testament  and  hymn-book  in  a  silk  wrapper,  made  by  girls  in 
Sinclair  orphanage ;  and  a  presentation  speech,  to  which  I  endeavored 
to  respond,  Mr.  Boyer  interpreting.  Their  words  of  praise  were  far  beyond 
anything  that  I  was  worthy  of,  from  what  I  had  done  for  the  mission,  but  I 
could  not  blame  them  for  being  glad,  as  they  said,  that  they  were  permitted 
to  see  the  secretary  of  the  society,  this  being  the  first  time,  although  the 
society  had  .been  organized  for  over  fifty  years.  I  was  pleased  to  see  a 
manifest  appreciation  of  the  work  which  had  been  done  in  this  field  ;  and 
where  could  this  expression  be  more  appropriately  made  than  at  Balasore, 
in  the  oldest  church 
of  the  mission  ? 

Following  is  the 
address  which  was 
delivered  in  Oriya 
and  English,  at 
the  Balasore  recep- 
tion. 

"  To  the  Rev.  T.  H.  Stacy, 
Secretary  American 
Mission  B.oard:  — 

"  SIR:  We,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Free  Baptist 
Church  at  Balasore,  on 
behalf  of  the  Christian 
Community,  here  beg  leave  to  offer  a  very  sincere  and  hearty  welcome  to  you  on  the 
occasion  of  your  kind  visit  to  this  country  of  ours.  It  is  needless  for  us  to  enlarge  upon 
the  conspicuous  and  valuable  services  you  have  so  willingly  rendered  to  this  mission  for  a 
long  time  ;  but  it  would  be  sheer  ingratitude  on  our  part  if  we  should  fail  to  mention 
here  the  inestimable  benefits  we  have  derived  from  the  mission  during  your  incumbency 


GIRLS  AND  TEACHERS  —  ORPHANAGE. 


110  IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

as  secretary  of   the  Mission  Board,  which  has  been  so  carefully  managed,  and  so  liberally 
inaugurated. 

"  Nor  should  we  omit  to  mention  here  the  great  boon  conferred  upon  this  country  by  the 
opening  up  of  different  institutions,  such  as  schools,  hospitals,  and  the  sending  out  of  med- 
ical missionaries,  inaugurating  zenana  teaching,  etc.,  —  measures  which  have  attracted  the 
serious  attention  of  all  Christendom  for  the  last  half  century. 

"  In  this  connection,  we  beg  respectfully  to  express  a  hope  that  now,  as  some  of  our 
worthy  promoters  have  been  called  away  from  the  field  so  widely  spread,  you  will  soon  direct 
your  best  attention  to  filling  the  vacancies. 

"  More  than  fifty  years  have  elapsed  since  this  church  was  first  established,  but  she  had 
not  even  once  the  good  fortune  to  see  her  own  secretary,  and  therefore  this  occasion  is  one 
of  singular  joy  to  us. 

"  We  fervently  pray  that   our  Almighty  Father  will  safely  take  you  back  to  your  mother- 
land, and  grant  you  long  life,  health,  and  vigor  to  successfully  discharge  the  honorable  and 
responsible  duties  of  the  exalted  office  you  have  been  so  ably  filling;  and  the  grace  of  our 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ  and  the  peace  of  the  Holy  Ghost  be  with  you. 
"We  beg  to  remain,  Sir, 

"  Your  most  obedient  servants, 

'JOSEPH  FULLONTON,  ] 

'  SAUL  NAYAK, 

'  MANUB  J.  JACHECK, 

'  NATHAN  BEHARA,  (  In  behalf  of  the  Christian 

'CHARLES  SINGH,  (      Community  Balasore." 

'BHUBAN  MOHAN  ROUL, 

'  LUCKAN  CHARAN  PANDA,  j 

'NATHAN  JACHECK." 

It  was  difficult  for  me  to  respond  to  those  expressions,  because  of  the 
honors  heaped  upon  me,  and  because  my  heart  was  deeply  moved  by  the 
manifest  appreciation  of  these  native  Christians.  However  I  did  the  best 
I  could. 

The  Balasore  church  is  the  oldest  in  our  mission,  and  we  were  indeed 
glad  to  note  its  strength  and  self-reliance.  Joseph  Fullonton,  the  pastor, 
is  a  recognized  leader  among  the  people.  We  have  seen  no  greater  inter- 
est and  enterprise  manifested  at  any  mission  station  than  at  this  one,  which 
is  without  doubt  largely  due  to  those  who  have  had  charge  of  its  work  ; 
for  I  find  that  what  the  pastor  is  to  the  home  church,  the  missionary  is  to 
the  station.  The  church  building  here  is  the  best  in  this  field. 

At  eight  o'clock  every  morning  an  industrial  school  meets  with  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Griffin,  where  the  pupils  are  taught  various  kinds  of  handiwork.  We 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD. 


Ill 


found  them  busy  as  bees,  some  with  sewing,  and  others  with  carpenters' 
tools.  We  found  ninety-four  pupils  and  four  teachers  in  the  Christian 
village  school.  At  the  Russell  Memorial  school  we  met  forty-eight  pupils 
and  two  teachers.  Here  were  found  the  little  ones  sitting  on  a  bit  of 
straw  matting,  with  clumsy  pieces  of  chalk,  marking  their  lessons  on  the 
mud  floor,  by  the  faint  light  that  came  in  through  the  square  holes,  made 
for  windows,  in  the  rnud  walls. 


PRESENTATION  OF  ADDRESSES,  HYMNS,  AND  ORIYA  BOOKS. 

Mrs.  Boyer  conducted  us  to  one  of  her  schools,  composed  of  very 
low-caste  children.  Among  them  we  saw  many  bright  faces;  and  who  knows 
but  in  that  mud  schoolhouse  there  were  some  whom  God  will  use  for  the 
spiritual  good  of  India?  In  another  building  eighty-five  pupils  were 
gathered  in  two  rooms,  many  of  them  very  bright.  They  sang  to  us,  and 
repeated  the  catechism.  Mr.  Boyer  told  us  that  there  is  about  as  much 
difference  between  Christian  and  heathen  children  as  between  human  be- 
ings and  brutes.  In  each  place  we  were  glad  to  speak  to  the  school,  and 
found  as  much  interest  in  our  presence  as  children  at  home  would  mani- 
fest in  visitors. 


112 


7.V    THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


Sinclair  Orphanage  is  a  very  pleasant  place.  The  house  and  grounds 
are  admirably  adapted  to  their  use.  Mrs.  Smith  superintends  this  work 
with  remarkable  skill,  and  keeps  the  place  in  perfect  order. 

Mother  Phillips  looked  very  fair  for  a  woman  of  so  many  years;  it  was 
a  privilege  indeed  to  sit  beside  her  while,  in  her  cheerful  manner,  she  re- 
lated to  us  some  of  her  experiences  in  the  mission  during  her  fifty  years' 
service.  Dr.  Nellie  M.  Phillips  is  very  busy  with  her  medical  work. 

It  is  very  evident 
that  all  mission 
schools  should  have 
Christian  teachers. 
Heathen  teachers  do 
not  carry  out  the 
spirit  of  missions. 
It  was  in  accordance 
with  this  that  a  reso- 
lution was  passed  at 
the  Yearly  Meeting 
in  Midnapore,  pro- 
viding that  after  two 
years  and  three 
months,  all  the  teach- 
ers in  mission  schools  should  be  Christian.  The  change  is  very  desirable, 
but  there  is  at  present  a  lack  of  a  sufficient  number  of  Christian  teachers 
qualified  for  this  work. 

The  contemplated  boys'  school  for  Christians  at  Balasore  is  a  neces- 
sity;1 for  it  is  unpardonable  to  place  boys  with  Christian  training  and  tend- 
encies under  the  instruction  of  those  who  shame  and  deceive  their  faith 
out  of  them  in  government  schools.  Mr.  Boyer  was  very  fortunate  in 
securing  a  suitable  building  for  this  school  at  a  low  figure.  The  house  is 
well  located,  on  rising  ground,  with  a  large  compound,  all  of  which  was 
secured  for  five  thousand  five  hundred  rupees.  The  owner  was  offered 
six  thousand  rupees  the  next  day  after  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  mission. 
It  will  probably  require  two  thousand  rupees  to  put  it  into  proper  condi- 

1  This  school  has  since  been  established,  with  Rev.  Geo.  H.  Hamlia,  as  principal. 


HINDU  TEMPLE  AND  TANK,  BALASORE. 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD. 


113 


tion,  but  it  will  then  accommodate  the  school,  with  the  principal  and  his 
family. 

JELLASORE. 

Friday  morning  we»  set  out  for  Jellasore,  twenty-eight  miles  away. 
Here  again  our  friend  of  the  government  service,  Mr.  Guise,  came  to  our 
assistance,  lending  us  a  team  for  the  first  stage  of  ten  miles.  First 
there  was  a  wide,  shallow  river  to  ford;  then,  after  stretches  of  level  coun- 


MISSION  HOUSE,  JELLASORE. 

try,  we  sat  under  a  banyan-tree  and  ate  the  lunch  provided  by  Mrs.  Boyer 
and  Miss  Hooper,  our  New  Brunswick  sisters. 

Two  miles  from  Jellasore  we  reached  a  river  just  after  sunset.  We 
were  ferried  across  on  a  rude  transport,  impelled  by  a  bamboo  pole  in  the 
hands  of  a  muscular  native;  but  it  took  a  large  company  to  see  us  over, 
land  our  horses,  take  us  upon  their  brawny  shoulders,  place  our  feet  on 
terra  firma,  and  collect  backshish.  Toiling  through  the  sand  beside  our 
empty  gharries  —  behind  us  is  the  river;  on  the  farther  bank  the  low  huts  of 
the  village  cropping  out  of  the  jungle;  and  over  all,  the  redness  of  a 
8 


114  IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 

crimson  afterglow.  Before  us  stretches  a  wide  reach  of  sand;  then  the 
outline  of  straw-thatched  huts,  dim  in  the  gloaming,  guarded  by  sentinel 
palms,  in  the  midst  of  plantains  and  tangled  shrubbery.  Through  the 
village  we  passed  and  amid  the  deepening  shadows  reached  the  mission 
compound  at  Jellasore  (now  called  Mohammednaggar)  too  tired  to  do  any 
more  than  bow  in  prayer  with  the  humble  worshipers  who  had  gathered  at 
the  bungalow  for  public  devotions  and  then  retire. 

On  Saturday  morning  we  arose  to  the  enjoyment  of  some  rich  experi- 
ences, the  first  of  which  was  a  meeting  of  the  native  Christians  in  the 
church,  where  we  had  the  pleasure  of  speaking  to  them.  We  then  went 
over  the  ground  where  "the  saints  have  trod,"  some  still  living  and  others 
gone  to  their  reward,  with  the  feeling  in  our  hearts  that  it  was  sacred 
ground  indeed.  Dr.  Harry  Bacheler,  who  was  stationed  here,  had  just 
finished  his  work;  the  news  of  his  death  had  reached  us  at  Calcutta,  and 
greatly  saddened  us,  and  through  our  visit  to  all  this  field  this  sadness  re- 
mained with  us.  We  knew  that  it  was  well  with  this  faithful  Christian 
man,  but  we  were  disappointed  at  not  seeing  one  to  whom  we  had  become 
personally  attached  through  our  relations  in  mission  work.  Here  at  Jella- 
sore was  his  last  earthly  home;  the  family  had  gone  to  Midnapore,  but 
there  were  things  about  the  bungalow  which  reminded  us  of  him. 

Then  came  the  thought  of  that  noble  woman  who  for  thirty  years  la 
bored  faithfully  in  Orissa,  for  the  most  part  with  the  children  ;  and  going 
out  of  the  back  door,  down  some  steps,  and  along  a  short,  winding  path,  we 
came  to  Lavina  Crawford's  Orphanage.  The  building  is  somewhat  dilapi- 
dated, but  yet  in  use,  and  seems  to  speak  of  the  noble  spirit  that  still 
lives  on,  even  as  the  spirit  of  the  Master  lives  in  those  who  have  touched 
the  hem  of  his  garment.  Just  beyond  the  little  church,  and  near  a  bam- 
boo hedge,  we  found  a  monument  surrounded  by  an  iron  railing.  Upon 
one  side  is  the  inscription  :  — 

''To  the  memory  of  Lavina  Crawford.  Born  2gth  Dec.  1819.  Died 
i6th  April  1882.  Missionary  in  Orissa  thirty  years. 

"  '  Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant,  thou  hast  been  faithful  over 
a  few  things,  I  will  make  thee  ruler  over  many  things  ;  enter  thou  into  the 
joy  of  thy  Lord.'  " 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD. 


115 


During  the  day  we  were  called  to  pray  with  a  native  Christian,  sick 
with  fever.  Poor  man,  how  wretched  was  his  condition  !  A  bit  of  mat- 
ting on  the  mud  floor  of  his  humble  verandah  was  all  the  bed  he  had ;  and 
the  sun  was  his  fire  ;  but  when  I  pointed  him  to  the  Great  Physician,  he 
said  he  woul.d  trust  him  for  healing.  The  devotion  of  the  native  Chris- 
tians here  seemed  very  marked.  They  have  been  deprived  of  a  mission- 
ary a  good  deal  for  the  past  few  years  because  the  location  has  become 


MONUMENT  FOR  LAVINA  CRAWFORD;  MISSION  CHURCH,  REV.  F.  W.  BROWN- 
PASTOR,   PAUL  NAYAK  AND  FAMILY. 

unhealthful ;  but,  like  Paul,  they  are  ready  to  say:  "We  are  troubled  on 
every  side,  yet  not  distressed  ;  we  are  perplexed,  but  not  in  despair,  for 
our  light  affliction,  which  is  but  for  a  moment,  worketh  for  us  a  far  more 
exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory  ;  while  we  look  not  at  the  things  which 
are  seen,  but  at  the  things  which  are  not  seen."  The  Holy  Spirit  was  espe- 
cially manifest  in  the  church  meeting.  Paul  Nayak,  the  pastor,  impressed  us 
as  being  a  man  of  tact,  discretion,  and  deep  piety. 

Mr.  Brown  now  takes  charge  of  the  work   here   and  at  Santipore,  and 


116  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

we  may  reasonably  expect  grand  results  at  these  two  stations  in  the  near 
future.1  Great  pains  should  be  taken  to  make  this,  our  central  station, 
one  of  the  strongest  in  the  field.  The  property  is  valuable,  and  it  is  the 
connecting  link  between  Midnapore,  Santipore,  and  Balasore. 

Shem,  a  native  Christian,  who  had  walked  to  Balasore  and  back,  a 
distance  of  fifty-six  miles,  to  see  us,  provided  much  of  our  food  while  we 
were  at  Jellasore.  One  evening,  after  the  usual  prayer-meeting,  he  and  a 
large  number  of  men  and  women  waited  to  converse.  They  talked  of 
Christ  and  Christianity,  and  of  the  people  in  America  who  had  sent  them 
the  gospel,  to  whom  they  sent  their  namaskars?  and  from  whom  they 
requested  continual  prayers ;  and  then,  so  different  from  what  is  frequently 
done  by  callers  in  this  country,  they  said  :  "We  know  that  you  are  tired, 
and  need  rest ;  if  you  will  pray  with  us,  we  will  go."  Who  could  not  pray 
under  such  circumstances  ?  So  there  we  knelt,  black  and  white,  and  in 
Oriya  and  in  English  talked  with  our  common  Father,  who  understood 
both,  and  answered ;  for  we  went  to  our  rest  with  messages  from  him. 

It  was  our  plan  to  go  to  Santipore  Saturday  afternoon,  for  we  made  a 
point  of  not  traveling  on  Sunday  when  we  could  reasonably  avoid  it.  But 
our palki-wallahs*  did  not  come  until  it  was  too  late  to  start,  so  we  had  to 
go  on  Sunday  morning.  We  started  early,  both  to  avoid  the  sun  and  to  be 
in  season  for  church  services.  But,  alas  !  We  must  leave  American  cus- 
toms behind  us  when  we  go  to  India.  Nobody  hurries  there,  and  even 
though  you  take  plenty  of  time,  you  are  liable  to  meet  with  hindrances  at 
any  place.  Before  our  journey  of  seven  miles  was  hardly  begun,  we  came 
to  a  river  crossed  only  by  a  ferry  ;  and  the  rickety  boat  was  on  the  other 
shore,  and  no  ferry-man  in  sight.  Our  syce*  mounted  a  hill,  screamed  "  Ha 
nokah-wallah,  jeldie,  jeldie, "  flinging  his  arms  wildly,  and  we  joined  him, 
fearing  it  was  a  hopeless  case ;  but  at  length  we  thought  we  saw  a  form 
moving  among  the  plantains  on  the  opposite  side.  Did  it  move?  We 
watched,  and  finally  concluded  that  it  did  move  ;  it  came  down  to  the 
shore  very  slowly,  although  we  all  shouted  " jeldie,  challau,  challau,"  which 
would  be  sufficient  in  America  to  make  a  man  "hurry  up."  The  ex- 
pectation of  moving  on  soon  vanished  as  the  man  took  a  tin  oil-can  and 

1  Mr.  Brown  has  recently  returned  to  America.  s  Salutation  of  Peace. 

8  Palanquin-bearers.  4  Groom. 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD.  117 

began  to  bail  out  the  water.  After  this,  another  form  seemed  to  move 
toward  us  from  the  plantains,  bearing  the  bamboo  pole  which  we  knew 
must  push  us  across.  At  length  they  mounted  the  majestic  craft,  and  the 
machinery  was  set  in  motion.  Behold  — 

"  She  starts,  she  moves,  she  seems  to  feel 
The  thrill  ot  life  along  her  keel." 

After  an  hour's  delay,  we  reached  the  other  side,  waded  through  the  hot 
sand,  and  reached  the  road  to  Santipore.  The  people  there  call  it  a  road, 
but  it  is  not  much  more  than  a  way,  trodden  by  pack-bullocks  into  all 
kinds  of  crooked  paths  with  high  grass  sods  between  them.  These  we  went 
over  and  among  as  best  we  could,  Mr.  Brown  and  myself  in  a  tom-tom, 
while  Mr.  Sandford  was  more  fortunate  in  going  horseback,  reaching 
Santipore  in  time  for  the  service  and  Sunday-school.  We  had  a  sense  of 
loneliness  at  Santipore  which  we  felt  at  no  other  station,  but  we  remem- 
bered something  of  the  sacrifice  made  by  Jeremiah  Phillips,  years  ago,  in 
establishing  the  work  here  ;  and  perhaps  he  was  nearer  to  us  that  Sunday 
than  we  knew. 

The  Santipore  station  is  well  supplied  with  everything  but  missionaries. 
The  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  which  Jeremiah  Phillips  secured 
to  let  out  to  native  Christians  has  proved  to  be  a  good  investment,  not 
from  a  financial  standpoint  especially,  although  it  is  self-sustaining  ;  but 
it  is  a  great  help  to  the  natives,  who  can  make  a  good  living  from  it,  and 
be  together  in  a  Christian  community.  I  wish  the  same  plan  might  be 
adopted  in  other  places.  The  farm  is  kept  in  good  condition,  and  is  easily 
irrigated  by  water  controlled  by  a  substantial  dam. 

Santipore  needs  a  good  live  missionary  to  stir  up  the  people,  and  direct 
the  work.  We  spoke  to  the  people  gathered  in  the  church,  who  welcomed 
us  heartily,  and  listened  attentively.  A  few  women  seemed  especially 
faithful ;  and  as  is  true  in  many  home  churches,  in  this  time  of  lack  the 
women  have  doubled  their  zeal.  As  we  came  away,  they  gathered  in  a 
little  group  about  the  church  door,  reminding  us  of  those  who  stood  last 
at  the  cross  —  and  sent  a  thousand  namaskars  to  the  women  of  America, 
also  beseeching  their  prayers  for  them. 


118  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

NARAYANGHUR. 

Early  Monday  morning  we  started  for  Midnapore,  fifty  miles  away. 
Our  plan  was  to  breakfast  at  Dantoon,  and  then  go  on  to  Narayanghur, 
where  Dr.  Bacheler  and  Mr.  Miner  were  camping  for  jungle  work.  Mr. 
Brown's  horse  took  us  to  Dantoon,  a  distance  of  eleven  miles,  in  an  hour 
and  a  half  where  we  had  a  chota-haziri  of  rice  and  curried  chicken.  This 
was  once  quite  a  mission  station  ;  but  there  has  been  no  permanent  mis- 
sionary here  for  some  time,  and  most  of  the  bungalow  has  been  taken 
away.  Mr.  Miner's  team  was  waiting  here  for  us  ;  and  after  our  breakfast 
we  pushed  on  to  Narayanghur. 

We  expected  to  find  our  friends  in  their  tents  beyond  the  village  ;  but 
as  we  came  in  sight  of  the  government  bungalow,  we  found  that  it  was  not 
empty.  Pacing  up  and  down  the  porch,  and  occasionally  looking  up  the 
road  over  which  we  came,  was  one  whom  we  had  not  seen  since  over  five 
years  before  in  America,  except  when,  a  little  later,  Dr.  J.  Fullonton  had 
tried  to  awaken  a  missionary  spirit  in  the  young  men  by  picturing  in  the 
Morning  Star  this  veteran  missionary  standing  on  the  prow  of  a  ship, 
gazing  wistfully  toward  India,  and  on  his  way  to  that  country,  because  there 
was  no  one  else  to  go. 

He  is  quite  vigorous,  and  when  on  the  seventeenth  of  January,  his  sev- 
enty-fourth birthday,  a  large  company  gathered  at  his  home  to  celebrate 
the  event,  he  was  as  apt  at  "blind-man's  buff"  as  the  younger  ones. 
However,  the  last  five  years  have  left  their  marks  upon  him,  and  some  of 
their  snows  are  lodged  in  his  hair.  Yet,  as  long  as  Dr.  Bacheler  lives,  he 
will  always  be  a  young  man. 

We  remained  at  this  place  until  the  next  morning,  spending  the  evening 
—  after  partaking  of  a  native  dinner — in  gospel  preaching.  Sachidananda 
Rai,  usually  called  Sachi,  and  other  native  Christians  we  found  engaged 
also  in  this  jungle  work.  Sachi  is  not  only  an  excellent  preacher,  but  a 
prime  interpreter.  Consequently,  we  all  had  a  chance  to  speak  during  the 
evening.  The  work  of  that  evening  I  cannot  forget.  As  we  gathered  to- 
gether, we  heard  the  beating  of  gongs  in  the  village,  to  awaken  the  gods  ; 
but  our  God  was  in  our  midst,  deeply  interested  in  our  work.  The  natives 
huddled  about  us,  and  stood  in  front  of  the  tent,  with  their  white  cloths 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD.  119 

wrapped  about  them,  looking  like  specters  in  the  moonlight.  Native 
hymns  were  sung,  Sachi  playing  on  a  peculiar  stringed  instrument;  and  we 
sang  "I  Will  Tell  the  Wondrous  Story."  All  listened  attentively  to  the 
preaching.  Perhaps  a  part  of  my  inspiration  for  that  evening  came  from 
the  fact  that  I  wore  a  cloak,  once  the  property  of  Elias  Hutchins,  —  for 
eighteen  years  the  secretary  of  the  Free  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society. 

I  found  by  conversing  with  the  natives  to  whom  we  preached,  that  they 
had  not  yet  got  hold  of  the  idea  that  Christianity  was  to  change  their  lives 
and  their  desires,  and  that  their  power  to  resist  evil  and  obey  God  would 
come  from  him  when  they  trusted  all  to  him.  It  seemed  to  them  rather  a 
profession  and  that  this  profession  was  what  would  make  them  different 
from  their  neighbors.  I  could  only  pray  that  the  Holy  Spirit  would  open 
their  eyes.  The  difference  remarked  by  Jesus  between  "the  Holy  Spirit 
with  you  "  and  "  in  you  "  will  be  to  these  poor  creatures  the  same  as  it  is 
elsewhere.  When  the  Holy  Spirit  is  in  them,  they  will  see. 

"  Sh-sh-sh-sh," — this  was  the  sound  that  greeted  us  in  the  bungalow 
when  nearly  ready  for  bed.  "What's  that?"  "It  may  be  a  cobra." 
"Ugh,  a  cobra."  My  companion  was  snug  in  bed,  with  the  mosquito- 
netting  fastened  down  ;  one  minute  more  and  I  would  be  ready  ;  but  this 
hissing  sound  seemed  threatening.  I  took  an  umbrella  and  poked  about, 
and  concluded  that  it  came  from  under  the  bed.  "  Sh-sh-sh-sh  "  again  !  I 
made  a  spring  and  landed  on  the  top  of  the  table,  which  was  not  made  for 
anything  more  substantial  than  rice  and  curry,  and  whose  joints  were 
weakened  with  age.  It  twisted  and  groaned  under  its  burden,  and  caused 
me  to  steady  myself  against  the  wall  ;  but  I  could  not  stay  there  all  night, 
and  so  got  upon  the  floor  again,  to  stir  up  the  terrible  hissing. 

I  at  last  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  sound  came  from  between  the 
webbing  of  the  santal  listing  that  was  roughly  woven  together  over  and  un- 
der the  frame  to  hold  up  the  sleeper;  but  I  could  not  prevail  upon  my 
companion  to  retreat,  therefore,  stuffing  all  the  openings  with  sheets,  towels, 
and  mosquito-netting,  so  that  what  was  in  could  not  get  out,  I  went  to  my 
own  bed  in  the  adjoining  room,  but  not  to  sleep  much  ;  for  in  a  little  while 
our  lantern  went  out,  leaving  us  in  total  darkness.  Here  was  a  dilemma  ; 
the  chokidar  had  long  ago  gone  to  his  own  quarters,  and  the  missionaries 
to  their  tents.  It  would  do  no  good  to  get  up  ;  besides,  stumbling  about 


120  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT, 

in  the  dark  might  not  be  very^  safe  where  lanterns  are  always  kept  burn- 
ing as  a  protection,  and  where  invariably  pants  are  shaken  out  and  boots 
turned  upside  down  before  dressing  to  rid  them  of  the  centipedes  and 
cobras  that  may  have  tucked  themselves  inside  during  the  night:  and  with 
the  possibilities  of  a  cobra  in  the  next  room.  Neither  was  it  comfort- 
able to  lie  still,  but  I  chose  the  latter,  and  after  tucking  the  netting  close 
about  me,  and  reflecting  upon  my  resolution  to  make  the  best  of  every- 
thing, I  got  a  few  cat-naps. 

Next  morning  at  daybreak  we  were  on  the  way  to  Midnapore,  Dr. 
Bacheler  leading.  Twenty  miles  of  good  hard  road,  three  miles  of  sand, 
a  river  crossed  by  a  ferry,  two  miles  through  the  town  and  beyond,  and  we 
reached  the  bungalow  which  was  to  be  our  home  while  in  Bengal.  But 
hardly  that.  We  were  to  visit  the  work  at  Bhimpore,  and  it  seemed  best 
for  us  to  do  this  before  the  Yearly  Meeting,  appointed  to  begin  the  follow- 
ing Lord's  day.  Accordingly  we  went  to  Bhimpore  the  next  day,  Wednes- 
day, still  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Brown. 

BHIMPORE. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stiles,1  the  missionaries  at  Bhimpore,  seemed  just  the 
same  as  when  they  left  America,  with  the  exception  that  Mrs.  Stiles  ap- 
peared stronger.  Their  little  one  looked  bright  and  healthy.  We  often 
thought  of  the  Burkholders  while  here;  but  I  am  sure  that  the  work  was 
left  in  safe  and  devoted  hands  during  their  absence. 

Mr.  Burkholder  has  shown  great  care  and  wisdom  in  the  arrangement 
of  things  at  Bhimpore.  The  house  is  convenient,  and  large  enough  ;  about 
it  the  compound  is  laid  out  with  a  place  for  fruit  and  gardening,  while 
close  at  hand  are  the  industrial  and  educational  schools,  and  the  orphan- 
age. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stiles  take  a  great  interest  in  the  natives,  who  manifest 
much  confidence  in  them.  A  good  work  has  been  going  on  in  the  church, 
both  in  point  of  discipline  and  conversions.  The  outside  work  conducted 
from  this  center  has  resulted  in  a  number  of  conversions,  and  the  recent 
organization  of  a  new  church. 

i  They  have  since  returned  to  America  to  recuperate  the  health  of  Mrs.  Stiles. 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD. 


MIDNAPORE. 

The  city  of  Midnapore  is  situated  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Kusi  River 
seventy  miles  west  of  Calcutta,  and  has  a  population  of  about  thirty-five 
thousand.  It  was  first  occupied  by  a  missionary  in  1844,  but  not  perma- 
nently until  1863,  when  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Bacheler  settled  there.  Since  that 
time  it  has  been  the  central  station  of  the  Bengali  work. 

It  is  difficult  for  me  to  separate  Midnapore  from  the  Yearly  Meeting 
which  occurred  while  we  were  there,  and  to  which  the  missionaries  — 


HINDU  TEMPLE,  MIDNAPORE  MARKET-PLACE. 

preachers,  Bible-readers,  and  lay  Christians  came  from  all  over  the  field. 
It  was  called  a  month  earlier  than  usual,  so  that  we  might  be  in  attendance. 
The  reports  were  brought  in  from  all  the  stations,  business  was  discussed, 
votes  passed  and  plans  laid,  in  all  of  which  God  manifested  his  presence. 
We  were  invited  to  sit  with  the  committees,  and  learned  a  good  deal  about 
the  work.  Face  to  face,  we  could  understand  each  other,  and  were  able  to 
accomplish  what  we  had  vainly  attempted  in  years  of  correspondence. 
The  reports  were  encouraging,  and  we  were  led  to  claim  still  greater  things 
for  the  year  to  come.  Spiritual  work  was  not  neglected  in  this  annual 
meeting  ;  sermons,  addresses,  seasons  of  prayer  and  testimony,  and  per- 
sonal consecration  were  "  times  of  refreshing  long  to  be  remembered." 


122 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


On  the  morning  of  January  19,  the  Literary  Society  met  at  Dr.  Bach- 
eler's  to  elect  officers  for  the  ensuing  year.  These  were  duly  elected,  but 
the  Holy  Ghost  made  us  feel  that  literary  societies,  for  their  own  sake,  in 
India  were  of  minor  importance,  if  of  any  ;  and  the  meeting  took  a  de- 
cidedly spiritual  turn,  making  it  the  prelude  to  a  meeting  of  waiting  before 
the  Lord  by  a  few  of  us  in  our  bungalow,  which  was  prolonged  after  mid- 
night. The  results  of  that  Pentecost  eternity  alone  will  reveal. 

This  was  followed  by  a  wonderful  meeting  on  the  following  evening  in 
the  church,  conducted  by  Mr.  Boyer.  During  the  first  part  of  the  eve- 
ning a  native  preached,  Mr.  Boyer  sitting  beside  me  to  interpret.  The 
sermon  over,  an  indifferent  quiet  settled  down  upon  us.  I  noticed  that 
Mr.  Boyer  turned  very  pale,  and  began  to  shake  like  a  leaf,  then,  spring- 
ing from  his  seat,  he  hurried  to  the  front  of  the  church,  and  with  the 
tears  streaming  over  his  cheeks,  he  addressed  the  people  in  their  native 
tongue.  The  Holy  Spirit  was  upon  him,  and  one  after  another  the  natives 
threw  themselves  upon  the  floor  beside  him,  consecrating  themselves  to 


NATIVE   PKtACHERs 


God,  and  pleading  for  the  Holy  Spirit.  I  do  not  think  that  there  was  a 
person  present  who  did  not  feel  the  personal  presence  of  God.  It  was  a 
mountain  top  from  which  we  saw  the  work  and  workers  of  India  needing, 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD. 


123 


more  than  anything  else,  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Whenever  I  think 
of  this  dear  man  of  God,  so  soon  after  this  called  home,  I  think  of  him 
as  he  was  that  night.  Precious  memory!  "Blessed  are  the  dead  which 
die  in  the  Lord." 

The  reports  and  most  of  the  sermons 
were  in  the  native  language,  but  we  got 
a  good  understanding  of  them  through 
interpreters.  The  English  sermons  were 
preached  by  Mr.  Sandford  and  myself ; 
we  also  addressed  "the  Sunday-school. 

Midnapore  has  a  good  variety  of 
talent,  which  should  have  a  telling  effect. 
Jacob,  the  pastor  of  the  church,  is  a  con- 
servative and  godly  man.  Sachidananda 
Rai  is  an  evangelist  who  will  compare 
favorably  with  evangelists  in  America, 
and  ought  to  devote  himself  to  this  work. 
Samuel,  head  pundit  in  the  Bible 
School,  and  the  Bible-School  boys  help 
in  the  general  work.  Mrs.  Bacheler's 
industrial  school  for  the  children  of 
native  Christians  receives  her  daily  per- 
sonal attention  for  education  and  indus- 
try. Dr.  Mary  Bacheler  is  busy  with 
her  practice,  and  in  the  zenanas  ;  Miss  Butts  gives  her  main  strength  to 
the  Bible  School  ;  Dr.  O.  R.  Bacheler  has  charge  of  this  school,  and  the 
Miners  help  generally  as  they  learn  the  language. 

Bazaar  preaching  will  not  be  neglected  while  Dr.  Bacheler  remains  at 
his  post.  Every  afternoon,  just  before  sunset,  he  brought  us  to  a  tree  on 
the  school  bazaar  in  the  city,  where  for  over  thirty  years  the  missionaries 
have  preached  Christ.  We  felt  that  we  stood  on  sacred  ground  ;  and  with 
devout  gratitude  we  spoke  here  several  times.  One  evening,  close  to  us, 
an  idol  was  being  painted  and  gaudily  decked  for  worship.  In  a  few  days 
it  was  dirty  and  broken.  Poor  deluded  heathen  !  I  thought,  How  I 
wish  you  knew  our  God  who  is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever! 


REV.  SACHIDANANDA  RAI. 


124 


IN    THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


Large  crowds  gathered  ;  some  were  attentive  and  asked  questions  ;  others 
were  indifferent.  Sachi  interpreted  for  us,  but  never  before  did  we  feel  so 
sensibly  the  truth  of  the  words,  "  Not  by  might  nor  by  power,  but  by  my 
Spirit  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts."  Human  agencies  will  never  convert  the 
heathen.  God  alone  can  do  that,  and  the  work  of  man  will  be  simply  to 
trust  and  obey,  relying  upon,  and  led  by,  the  simple  directions  of  the- 
Holy  Spirit,  even  in  the  smallest  matters.  Bazaar  preaching  reaches  many 
who  might  not  hear  the  gospel  without  it. 


BIBLE  WOMEN. 

A  large  zenana  work  conducted  by  Miss  Coombs  is  divided  among  the 
women  of  the  station  during  her  absence  at  Balasore  to  care  for  Mrs. 
Griffin's  work.  We  were  fortunate  in  gaining  admission  to  a  zenana  through 
the  kindness  of  Dr.  Mary  Bacheler,  a  privilege  rarely  accorded  to  men ; 
however,  it  seemed  to  us  a  very  dreary  place. 

The  Bible  school  is  one  of  the  indispensables  of  the  mission.  We  spent 
two  hours  in  the  school  at  the  opening  of  the  spring  term,  and  almost 
coveted  of  the  boys  their  knowledge  of  Bengali,  Oriya,  and  Sanscrit ;  but 
a  true  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ  and  his  gospel  is  of  far  greater  im- 
portance. 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD,  125 

The  death  of  Dr.  Harry  Bacheler  had  indeed  saddened  the  entire 
mission,  but  we  found  Mrs.  Bacheler  bearing  her  sorrow  bravely  and  with 
her  usual  quietness.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miner  were  living  in  the  house  which 
Dr.  Phillips  built,  and  which  he  has  donated  to  the  mission.  They  seemed 
thoroughly  interested  in  the  work,  and  constantly  busy. 

The  same  may  be  said  of  Dr.  Mary  Bacheler  whose  return  to  India  was 
a  return  home,  her  study  and  experience  in  America  having  qualified  her 
for  very  efficient  work.  "Auntie  Bacheler  "  was  not  quite  well,  but  she 
was  never  idle. 

Marriages  were  quite  in  order  while  we  were  in  Bengal.  We  witnessed 
a  ceremony  at  Bhimpore  performed  by  Mr.  Stiles,  assisted  by  the  pastor  of 
the  church.  Quite  a  large  party  accompanied  the  couple,  led  by  singers. 
Santal  music  is  very  dirge-like  ;  consequently,  it  does  not  seem  to  fit  in  at 
a  wedding,  but  they  sang  after  their  fashion.  The  couple  were  quite  young, 
and  the  bride  had  received  a  severe  flogging  a  few  days  before  at  the 
hands  of  her  parents  because  she  had  accepted  Christianity.  Both  were 
barefooted  and  bareheaded,  but  the  bride  drew  her  body-cloth  down  over 
her  face.  The  ceremony  was  after  the  English  style,  after  which  they 
signed  the  certificate,  the  bride  making  her  mark.  They  received  the  con- 
gratulation of  friends,  which  the  bride  seemed  willing  to  prolong  after  a  few 
generous  ones  had  dropped  rupees  into  her  hand.  They  soon  departed  for 
their  home  a  few  rods  away,  the  bride  being  borne  on  the  hip  of  her  oldest 
brother's  wife,  and  the  bridegroom  on  the  hip  of  his  oldest  brother's  wife. 
At  the  door  of  the  home  their  clothing  was  tied  together,  and  they  sat 
down  to  breakfast.  We  were  compelled  to  decline  an  invitation  to  dinner, 
as  we  returned  to  Midnapore  that  day. 

Bina  Hatch  was  married  at  Midnapore  while  we  were  there,  but  we 
were  busy,  and  forgot  the  event  until  it  was  over.  The  marriage  of  Miss 
Mabel  L.  Griffin  to  George  S.  Henderson  was  the  event  of  January  19. 
The  church  was  beautifully  decorated  with  ferns,  flowers,  and  palms.  The 
ceremony,  which  occurred  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  was  performed 
by  Rev.  M.  C.  Miner  and  Dr.  Bacheler.  Mr.  Henderson  is  the  manager 
of  the  Lai  Bazaar  coffee-rooms,  in  Calcutta,  and  has  been  very  successful 
there. 

The  Yearly  Meeting  was  saddened  by  the  death  of  Durga-ma,  a  good 
old  native  Christian  woman  who  has  charge  of  the  orphans  at  Bhimpore. 


126  IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

She  was  taken  suddenly  ill  in  meeting  and  died  in  a  short  time.  A  strange 
contrast  was  presented  that  night  at  eleven  o'clock,  when  her  body  was 
carried  out  to  the  little  burying-ground,  surrounded  by  friends,  sad  to  part 
with  her,  but  full  of  hope  for  her  and  for  themselves.  When  they  halted  at 

the  hedge  of  the  yard,  another  pro- 
cession came  up,  and  halted  on  the 
other  side  of  the  road.  Their  dead 
was  a  heathen.  Professional  mourners 
wailed  and  twisted  their  forms  about 
the  body.  The  same  moon  threw  her 
soft  light  over  both  ;  but  how  different 
were  the  influences  which  these  two 
left  behind  them  !  With  what  different 
characters  did  they  enter  that  coun- 

MR.  AND  MRS.  HALLAM.  /.  i_  •    i  i 

try  from  which  no  traveler  returns  ! 

Durga-ma  was  spoken  of  at  the  mission  as  one  whose  place  it  would  be 
hard  to  fill.  The  arrival  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hallam  during  the  Yearly  Meet- 
ing brough  much  joy  to  the  workers.  Upon  the  following  week  they  went 
to  Chandbali  where  they  were  stationed  for  a  time. 

Never  shall  I  forget  my  conversation  with  Chandra  Nila.  I  was  just 
leaving  the  Bacheler  bungalow  to  keep  an  appointment,  when  Dr.  Mary  said, 
"  Here  is  a  woman  who  says  she  must  speak  with  the  ' bara  sahib.'"  As  I 
stopped,  an  old  woman,  wrinkled  and  deformed,  knelt  down  before  me, 
and  embracing  my  feet,  showered  her  kisses  upon  them.  I  drew  back,  not 
at  her  uncomely  appearance,  but  at  her  homage.  "  Yes,  it  must  be  so," 
she  cried;  "you  represent  the  people  who  sent  me  the  gospel  which  has 
brought  me  to  Jesus."  Then  she  told  me  how,  for  years,  she  went  from 
shrine  to  shrine  teaching  as  a  holy  woman,  and  yet  having  no  peace  in  her 
soul  ;  how  one  day  she  happened  to  hear  Dr.  J.  L.  Phillips  preach  Jesus, 
and,  convinced  that  He  was  what  she  needed,  she  at  once  accepted  Him. 
With  that  came  peace,  and  then,  for  years,  she  spent  her  time  going  to  the 
same  temples  and  shrines,  telling  the  story  of  her  salvation,  and  offering 
the  gospel  to  others. 

Here  indeed  was  another  miracle  of  the  Master's  grace,  as  marked  as 
any  which  he  wrought  while  here  in  the  flesh.  The  light  was  dim  in  those 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD.  127 

natural  eyes  which  looked  up  to  mine,  but  through  them  there  shone  a  light 
supernatural,  which  spoke  of  Him  who  is  the  light  of  the  world  ;  and  as  I 
walked  across  the  compound  into  the  road,  I  said,  "  Surely  such  work  as 
this  is  not  a  failure."  Chandra  Nila  searching  for  peace  at  Hindu  shrines 
and  temples,  found  what  the  millions  who  prostrate  themselves,  votaries  of 
this  corrupting  idolatry,  find,  vanitas  vanitatis.  When  she  found  Christ, 
she  found  the  all-satisfying  portion  which  is  offered  to  India's  people,  a 
religion  which  will  make  their  life  as  perennial  as  their  own  debdaru. 

The  Indians  are  persistent  beggars;  if  they  do  the  slightest  errand  they 
want  bakshish.  Sometimes  they  stand  up  for  one  to  look  at  them,  and  then 
exclaim,  "  Bakshish."  It  is  a  serious  question  what  one's  Christian  duty  is 
in  regard  to  such  a  custom.  One  day,  after  paying  our  twenty  men  who 
wheeled  us  over  the  road,  and  then  adding  to  it  twice,  they  filled  the 
bungalow  doorway  with  their  black  forms,  and  cried:  "Bakshish;  you 
are  my  father  and  my  mother  and  all  I  have  got."  We  could  not  get  rid 
of  them  until  we  seized  the  rifles  in  a  way  that  looked  like  earnest,  when 
they  scattered  in  all  directions  to  return  no  more.  They  all  tell  about  the 
same  story  of  being  friendless  and  hungry,  and  they  are  sure  to  try  to  make 
you  believe  that  you  are  their  father  and  mother,  and  all  that  they  have  in 
the  world.  The  story  of  a  little  boy  who  appeared  at  our  carriage  door 
when  we  were  about  leaving  the  dock  for  the  coffee-rooms  in  Calcutta,  is 
worth  repeating.  It  ran  something  like  this:  "No  father,  no  mudder,  no 
brudder,  no  sister,  very  poor  little  boy,  hungry  little  feller,  no  wife,  no 
husband,  no  children,  no  rice,  no  curry;"  and  then,  with  an  energy  unnat- 
ural to  his  ilk,  he  slapped  his  side,  calloused  and  hardened  by  this  exercise, 
with  a  blow  that  sounded  like  a  firecracker.  During  his  recitation  he 
stepped  up  and  down  in  a  lively  manner.  This  was  quite  bizarre  for  India, 
and  we  induced  him  to  repeat  the  whole  operation.  When  asked  his  age, 
he  said  he  was  eight.  We  thought  a  little  naked  boy  of  that  age  was  for- 
tunate in  not  having  all  the  appendages  which  he  enumerated,  and  rewarded 
him  with  the  coveted  two-anna  piece. 

Two  things  surprised  us  in  India.  One  was  the  intelligence,  courtesy, 
and  dignified  bearing  of  many  of  the  baboos  ;  and  the  other  was  the  poverty 
of  the  homes,  even  of  those  who  had  become  Christians.  The  houses  are 
made  of  mud,  having  thatched  roofs,  and  almost  destitute  of  what  we  call 


128 


IN  THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


furniture.     They  let  in  very  little  light,  and  are  usually  full  of  smoke  when 

cooking  is  going  on. 

All  through  the  mission  field,  while  we  enjoyed  the  presence  of  those 

there,  we  were  constantly  reminded   of  some  who  will  be  there  no  more. 

In  the  churchyard  at 
Balasore,  a  plain 
monument  shows  the 
spot  where  the  body 
of  Brother  Smith 
awaits  the  resurrec- 
tion morning.  In 
the  compound  at 
M id napo re,  we  s a w 
the  resting-place  of 
Mrs.  Lawrence,  al- 
ways covered  with 
flowers  and  shrubs. 
In  the  cemetery  we 

REV.  BENJ.  B.  SM.TH  MONUMENT,  found     a    m  O  HU  m  en  t 

with    a   double    tablet;    on    one    half    is    inscribed:  — 

"Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Catherine  Elizabeth,  the  beloved  wife  of 
Rev.  O.  R.  Bacheler,  American  Missionary  at  Balasore,  who  died  at  Mid- 
napore,  on  the  2oth  of  January,  1845,  in  the  2gth  year  of  her  age. 

"  '  Long  do  they  live,  nor  die  too  soon 
Who  live  till  life's  great  work  is  done.'  " 

On  the  other  I  read:  — 

"Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Mary  Anne,  the  beloved  wife  of  Rev.  J. 
Phillips,  American  Free  Baptist  Missionary  at  Jellasore,  who  died  at  Mid- 
napore,  August  16,  1840,  aged  20  years,  10  months,  7  days. 

"  None  of  us  liveth  to  himself.  And  as  we  have  borne  the  image  of  the 
earthly,  we  shall  also  bear  the  image  of  the  heavenly." 

At  Chandbali  they  showed  us  the  grave  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coldren's  little 
girl.  Dr.  Harry  Bacheler's  body  was  laid  away  at  Balasore.  Miss  Craw- 
ford's remains  were  buried  at  Jellasore,  and  later  the  soil  of  Bengal  and 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD. 


129 


Orissa  have  been  made  more  sacred  as  the  dust  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stiles's 
little  one,  and  that  of  A.  B.  Boyer  have  mingled  with  it.  Have  not  these 
provinces  been  consecrated,  and  laid  under  tribute? 

On  Sunday  afternoon,  January  25,  we  spoke  to  the  people  for  the  last 
time.  Our  hearts  were  very  full.  How  glad  we  were  that  we  had  been 
permitted  to  see  the  work  among  the  Bengalis,  Oriyas,  and  Santals  !  Per- 
haps we  had  brought  to  the  workers  some  encouragement,  and  were  our- 
selves better  prepared  to  work  for  this  mission  in  the  home  field.  We 
should  like  to  have  seen  more  of  the  outside,  and  especially  of  the  jungle 
work  ;  but  we  are  confident  that  we  obtained  a  very  correct  idea  of  the 
mission,  although  the  time  of  our  visit  avoided  many  climatic  annoyances 
which  are  prevalent  "in  May.'' 

When  we  went  to  the  dock  to  take  our  canal-boat  for  Oolaberiah, 
thence  to  Midnapore,  many  of  the  dear  friends  accompanied  us.  Just 
before  we  left,  they  gathered  about  us,  and,  outside  of  all,  a  great 
company  of  the  heathen  natives,  while  the  veteran  missionary,  Dr. 
Bacheler,  most  tenderly 
committed  us  to  God 
for  a  safe  journey.  Our 
hearts  were  full,  and  our 
attempts  to  sing,  "Blest 
be  the  tie  that  binds," 
were  almost  futile.  Just 
then  a  native,  in  trying 
to  jump  aboard,  fell  into 
the  water.  It  was  a  re- 
proof to  me ;  there  are 
too  many  trying  to  com- 
fort themselves  because 
of  a  little  sorrow,  when 
numbers  are  perishing 
about  them.  We  must  forget  ourselves,  and  "throw  out  the  life  line." 

Our  boat  was  attached  to  a  tug  which  took  us  through  the  canal. 
From  it  we  watched  the  last  flutter  of  handkerchiefs,  and  then,  committing 
them  all  to  the  gracious  hand  of  Him  who  never  slumbers  or  sleeps,  we 

9 


CONTAI  BAZAAR. 


130 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


made  the  hard  benches  of  our  primeval  barge,  upon  which  the  night  was 
to  be  spent,  as  easy  as  possible  under  the  circumstances.  Again  I  thought 
of  my  resolutions  ;  and  where  we  would  have  been  satisfied  with  a  Succoth, 
we  found  our  moving  shelter  a  Bethel. 

As  we  approached  Oolaberiah,  we  were  met  by  the  crimson  heralds  of 
the  dawn.  The  canal  voyage  ended  in  daylight,  and  with  the  help  of 
coolies,  we  transferred  our  luggage  over  a  ridge,  and  down  to  the  "  Abala," 

which  was  to  take  us 
up  the  Hooghly  to 
Calcutta.  The  jour- 
ney was  not  long. 
Chota-haziri  from 
Sister  Bacheler's 
lunch-basket,  a  little 
chat  about  the  work, 
and — "Here  we  are 
at  Calcutta  again  !  " 

The  day  passed  all 
too  soon,  —  first  to  19 
Lai  Bazaar,  to  meet 
the  Conklings  and 
Hendersons  again; 
then  to  the  Doremus 
Mission  ;  then  among 

the  native  bazaars ;  and  at  half  past  nine  in  the  evening  at  Howrah 
Station,  ready  for  our  journey  across  the  continent.  Mr.  Henderson  and 
Mr.  Rae  were  here ;  Mr.  Brown,  who  had  met  us  at  Chandbali  and 
gone  with  us  through  the  mission  field,  was  there  also  to  bid  us  "God- 
speed." 

Again  we  met  our  old  friends,  the  Greenlees,  who  traveled  with  us  as 
far  as  Mogul-Sari,  where  they  changed  for  Benares.  It  was  hard  to  refuse 
Mr.  Greenlee's  solicitations  to  accompany  them.  We  had  spent  so  much 
time  in  work  among  the  mission  stations  that  we  could  not  see  all  we 
desired  to.  It  had  been  a  question  between  service  and  pleasure;  we  had 
chosen  the  former,  and  must  abide  by  all  it  meant. 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD. 


131 


How  our  hearts  yearned  now  for  the  attractions  farther  north  !  —  Dar- 
jiling,  lying  under  the  shadow  of  Kinchinjanga,  with  its  glittering  ice-peaks 
ranging  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  thousand  feet  high  ;  and,  farther  away, 
Everest,  the  sublimest  of  these  mountains,  and  the  highest  known  in  the 
world.  And  there  was  Benares,  with  its  shrines  that,  to  the  Hindus,  are 
the  most  sacred  of  all  in 
India.  Here  he  may  bathe 
in  the  sacred  Ganges  ;  and, 
no  matter  what  his  crimes 
have  been,  if  he  may  only 
die  here,  and  have  his  body 
burned  in  the  Benares  burn- 
ing-ghat, eternal  happiness  is 
supposed  to  be  secured. 

Cawnpore  and  Lucknow, 
with  the  memorial  well,  the 
old  residency  scarred  with 
shells,  all  recalling  the  terrible 
mutiny  of  1857,  were  inviting. 
And  among  this  northern 
cluster  of  gems  is  Delhi,  one 
of  the  most  ancient  cities  of 
the  world,  with  its  distinct 
history  running  back  to  1500 
B.  c. ,  and  traditions  as  marked 
as  those  of  Nineveh  and 
Babylon,  its  associations  and 
architectural  beauty  giving  it 
a  place  with  Rome,  Athens, 
Cairo,  Venice,  and  Constantinople ;  its  Jama  Masjid  without  a  rival 
among  mosques. 

Most  attractive  of  all  perhaps  is  Agra,  beautiful  Agra,  which  marks  the 
crowning  period  of  the  Mogul  dynasty.  Here  is  the  Taj  Mahal,  the 
most  renowned  building  in  the  world.  I  do  not  like  to  speak  of  it  as  a 
building  or  a  piece  of  architecture,  but  as  an  elegy  in  marble, —  a  lover's 


RESIDENCY,  LUCKNOW. 


132  IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

dream  crystallized,  the  tenderness  and  grief  of  a  heart's  devotion  which 
burst  forth  as  the  pearl  escapes  from  the  pain-marked  shell,  after  it  had 
been  caught  and  molded  by  angel  fingers.  It  was  placed  here  by  Shah 
Jahan,  an  emperor,  to  enshrine  the  body  of  his  beloved  wife,  Arjamand. 
Built  largely  by  forced  labor,  it  took  twenty  thousand  workmen  seventeen 
years  to  construct  and  adorn  it,  at  a  cost  of  four  million  pounds.  The 
gateway,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  buildings  in  the  world,  is  140  feet  high 
and  no  feet  wide.  Three  or  four  hundred  yards  beyond,  in  the  midst  of 
trees,  shrubs,  flowers,  and  fountains,  rises  the  great  white  marble  dome, 
which  words  cannot  describe.  The  building  is  186  feet  square,  and  it  is 
220  feet  to  the  top  of  the  dome,  all  raised  on  a  plinth  of  white  marble  313 
feet  square  and  18  feet  above  the  level  of  the  garden.  At  each  corner  of 
the  plinth  stands  a  tapering  minaret  137  feet  high. 

Within,  the  emperor  and  his  wife  lie  buried  side  by  side,  in  marble 
tombs,  richly  inlaid  with  gems.  Double  screens  of  white  marble  trellis- 
work  in  most  exquisite  design  and  workmanship  let  in  the  light.  Of  this 
beautiful  mausoleum,  Sir  Edwin  Arnold  says  :  — 

"  You  see  it  with  the  heart,  before  the  eyes 
Have  scope  to  gaze.     All  white  !  snow  white  !  cloud  white  ! 
Like  a  white  rounded  cloud  seems  the  smooth  dome, 
Seated  so  stately  mid  its  sister  domes, 
Waxing  to  waist,  and  waning  to  wan  brow  ; 
White  too  the  minarets,  like  ivory  towers, — 
Four  tall  court  ladies  tending  their  princess  — 
Set  at  the  fourshorn  corners." 

BOMBAY  AND  THE  TOWERS  OF  SILENCE. 

Second  class  on  the  journey  across  India  was  good  enough  for  an 
American padri^-  or  any  other  gentleman  traveling  without  ladies  ;  to  us  it 
was  delightful.  The  trains  were  well  managed,  and  accommodations  were 
satisfactory.  Bombay  has  a  magnificent  railroad  station,  costing  three 
hundred  thousand  pounds.  It  is  the  finest  building  in  Bombay.  There 
are,  however,  other  public  buildings  on  the  same  scale,  for  that  matter, — 
hotels,  the  Elphinstone  College,  the  Secretariat,  the  University,  the  High 
Court,  the  Public  Works  Office,  the  Post-office,  the  Cathedral  School,  the 

1  Hindustani  for  priest  or  minister. 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD. 


133 


National  General  Hospital,  all  of  which  help  to  make  Bombay  seem  to  me 
more  palatial  than  Calcutta,  called  "the  city  of  palaces."  But  the  por- 
tions of  the  city  given  up  entirely  to  native  occupation  are  oriental  enough. 
One  cannot  fail  to  be  interested  in  the  bazaars  and  markets. 

Hindu  temples  are  numerous,  but  not  very  interesting,  the  Moham- 
medans have  about  one  hundred  mosques.  The  Parsees,  who  wholly  pre- 
dominate in  the  busi- 
ness pursuits  of  the 
place,  have  their 
severely  plain  fire- 
temples.  There  are 
about  seventy  thou- 
sand of  these  fire-wor- 
shipers in  and  about 
Bombay.  They  re- 
pudiate the  term  fire- 
worshipers,  however, 
calling  themselves 
theists.  They  say  that 
God  is  the  emblem  of 
glory  and  spiritual 
life;  therefore,  when 
praying,  they  either 
face  the  sun,  or  stand 
before  fire,  as  the  most  fitting  symbol  of  the  Deity. 

One  of  the  principal  peculiarities  of  the  Parsee  religion  is  the  disposition 
which  they  make  of  their  dead.  We  visited  the  Dakhmas,  or  Towers  of 
Silence,  on  Malabar  Hill,  where  their  dead  are  carried,  to  be  devoured  by 
the  vultures.  The  drive  to  this  place  was  delightful,  the  nearer  approach 
to  the  garden  being  by  a  private  way,  which  none  but  Parsees  are  allowed 
to  travel  without  special  permit. 

At  the  end  of  the  road  we  were  obliged  to  leave  our  carriage,  and  our 
cameras  as  well  ;  for  the  gatekeeper  disappointed  me  by  hurriedly  seizing 
my  tripod,  and  then  rushing  after  ,my  friend  Dr.  Mabie,  —  with  whom  we 
visited  the  hill, —  and  victoriously  capturing  his  kodak.  So  we  proceeded 


MEMORIAL  WELL,  CAWNPORE. 


134 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


without  them,  up  stone  steps,  by  a  way  often  changing  in  direction.  At 
the  top  is  a  chapel,  or  house  of  prayer,  where  a  fire  of  sandal-wood  and 
incense  is  kept  continually  burning.  This  we  were  not  allowed  to  enter. 
Along  the  way  by  which  we  came  were  flowers,  shrubs,  and  tropical  trees 
in  rich  profusion  ;  and  from  the  top  of  the  hill  to  the  sea  the  same  beauti- 
ful decorations  slipped  down  in  gorgeous  parterres,  and  seemed  to  blend 
with  that  flood  of  water  that  stretches  into  the  sunset.  Behind  us  was 

Bombay,  the  harbor, 
and  the  range  of  re- 
ceding ghats. 

There  are  five 
towers,  all  white.  The 
oldest  has  been  built 
two  hundred  and  fif- 
teen years,  and  the 
others  one  hundred 
and  forty-five,  one 
hundred,  sixty,  and 
forty-five  years  re- 
spectively. They  are 
round,  about  fifteen 
feet  high,  and  of  differ- 
ent sizes,  the  largest 
being  ninety  feet  in 
diameter.  The  inside 
of  these  buildings  are  open  to  the  sky  ;  in  the  center  is  a  well  which 
receives  the  bones  after  they  have  been  acted  upon  by  sun  and  rain.  About 
this  are  three  circles  of  receptacles  for  the  bodies  of  the  dead, —  the  inner 
one  for  children,  with  tender  bones  ;  the  next  for  women  ;  while  the  outer 
circle  is  for  men,  with  harder  bones.  Upon  one  side  is  an  iron  door,  ap- 
proached by  an  inclined  walk  ;  through  this  door  the  dead  are  pushed,  and 
left  for  the  vultures  to  devour. 

Flocks  of  these  ugly,  repulsive-looking  birds  sat  upon  the  towers,  and 
swept  on  logy  wing  over  the  garden,  while,  out  in  a  palm-tree  overlooking 
the  private  way,  an  old  sentinel  sat  to  notify  his  fellows  of  the  coming  of  a 


TOWER  OF  SILENCE,  BOMBAY. 


THE  FREE  BAPTIST  MISSION  FIELD.  135 

funeral  train.  When  the  gates  are  opened  for  the  funeral  procession,  none 
know  it  any  sooner  than  the  vultures.  At  the  signal  they  flock  from  all 
parts  of  the  garden,  circle  in  clouds  over  the  procession,  and  settle  down 
upon  the  tower  which  receives  the  dead.  As  the  friends  withdraw,  the 
hungry,  loathsome  creatures  drop  quietly  into  the  tower,  and  strip  the 
skeleton  of  its  flesh  before  the  mourners  have  concluded  their  services  in 
the  chapel.  The  bones  remain  exposed  to  the  tropical  sun  a  few  weeks, 
and  then  are  placed,  in  common  with  all  the  rest,  in  the  well  in  the  center 
of  the  tower. 

It  was  with  reluctance  that  we  took  the  "  Sutlej  "  at  Bombay;  but 
duty  bade  us  continue  our  journey  westward.  Our  work  in  India  had 
given  us  much  information.  What  new  and  varied  scenes  had  spread  out 
before  us  ! —  burning  plains,  fertile,  rolling  country,  and  jungles  ;  the 
plumy  palm,  the  temple-building  banyan,  the  sacred  pepul-tree,  the  tem- 
ple-tree, with  its  pungent  flaming  blossoms  and  no  foliage  ;  cocoanuts 
crowning  living  columns,  mangos,  bananas,  and  often  a  palm  uniting  with 
another  tree,  their  trunks  growing  into  one,  while  the  tops  separate  each 
into  its  own  foliage.  The  natives  call  this  a  marriage  of  trees.  We  had 
also  seen  ferns  in  great  variety,  and  grasses  of  so  many  kinds  that  it  would 
take  an  agrostologist  to  define  them. 

We  had  seen  the  natives  in  their  humble  homes,  on  their  farms,  in 
their  places  of  business,  in  their  schools,  and  in  their  temples.  We  had 
seen  their  temples  and  their  gods,  all  demoralizing  and  harmful,  with  no 
good  thing  about  them.  We  had  seen  them  making  long  pilgrimages,  and 
gaining  no  satisfaction.  Beside  the  way  we  had  seen  many  a  skull  and 
skeleton,  where  a  man  or  woman  had  fallen  down  and  died  alone ;  while 
the  cattle,  when  they  became  old  or  sick,  were  comfortably  housed  in 
hospitals.  We  had  heard  about  the  terrible  self-torture  for  conscience' 
sake,  and  of  the  child-marriages,  which  are  enough  to  crush  the  life 
out  of  any  people. 

It  had  been  a  great  privilege  to  meet  many  native  Christians,  to  hear 
their  testimony  for  the  saving  power  of  Christ,  and  to  see  others  under 
conviction,  and  inquiring  after  the  truth.  We  wanted  to  look  into  the 
work  of  other  missions  ;  to  learn  the  condition  of  the  people,  and  to  get 
a  general  idea  of  their  needs  religiously ;  we  wanted  better  to  understand 


136 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


the  work  in  Bengal  and  Orissa.  These  wishes  we  were  able  to  gratify  quite 
fully.  We  came  into  contact  with  the  work  of  several  different  denomina- 
tions, and  arrived  at  several  conclusions,  some  of  which  will  be  stated 
farther  on. 

Mr.  Aitken,  of  Calcutta,  in  speaking  of  the  Free  Baptist  Mission,  said  : 
"I  have  seen  more  than  half  the  missions  of  India,  and  am  personally  ac- 
quainted with  most  of  the  workers;  but  I  have  never  seen  one  mission 
field  where  the  fervor  and  enthusiasm  is  kept  up  as  it  is  in  Orissa."  It 
seemed  to  us  that  the  work  in  Bengal  and  Orissa  compared  favorably  with 
the  rest ;  still  there  are  improvements  which  I  long  to  see  made  there,  and 
which  I  trust  will  soon  be  brought  about.  It  was  a  great  delight  to  visit 
India.  Mr.  Sandford  and  myself  spoke  over  forty  times  while  there,  and 
trust  that  good  came  from  these  efforts. 

As  the  "Sutlej"  weighed  anchor,  and  set  her  prow  to  cross  that  sea 
which  has  borne  up  the  argosies  of  the  centuries,  I  turned  to  Bombay 
("  the  beautiful  bay")  to  say  to  India,  grown  so  dear  to  me,  my  namaskar ; 
but  instead  of  that,  the  parting  message  which  came  to  my  lips  was, 
"  Good-by  for  the  present."  And  then  I  saw  the  light-house,  the  Arab 
dhows,  the  steeples  of  the  town,  the  palms  and  bungalows  of  Malabar  Hill, 
and  the  sky-reaching  ghats  beyond,  all  slip  down  into  the  sea  —  and 
India  was  behind  us. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


SOME   CONCLUSIONS. 


MARRIAGE  TREE. 


VERY  station  occupied  by  missionaries  should  be 
so  manned  that,  not  only  thorough  work  shall  be 
possible  there,  but  that  it  may  also  become  a 
center  of  work  for  some  distance  around.  Two  kinds  of  work  are  promi- 
nent,—  educational  and  evangelistic.  Both  are  legitimate  ;  the  former  takes 
the  children  and  youth,  and  yet  is  incomplete  without  the  latter  ;  but  evan- 
gelistic work  alone  must  reach  adults  if  they  are  reached  at  all,  perma- 
nently. I  would  have  every  station  an  evangelizing  center.  Assisted  by 
the  most  spiritual  and  efficient  natives,  let  the  missionary  superintend  ag- 
gressive evangelistic  work  all  about  him.  Simply  to  "hold  the  fort,"  and 
expect  a  harvest  sometime,  is  not  in  the  spirit  of  modern  missions. 
"  Behold,  I  say  unto  you,  Lift  up  your  eyes,  and  look  on  the  fields  ;  for 
they  are  white  already  to  harvest. " 

2.   In  mission  work,  as  in  every  other  to  which  God  calls  men,  there 
should  be  a  constant  looking  for  results,  unhindered  by  any  would-be  dis- 

[137] 


138  LV   THE  PATH    OF  LIGHT. 

couragements.  If  results  are  not  looked  for  and  claimed,  they  are  not 
largely  experienced.  Men  who  are  sent  out  into  hard  places  have  a  right 
to  believe  that  God  has  prepared  the  way  for  them.  If  called  to  preach 
to  dark  minds  and  hard  hearts,  let  them  be  assured  that  the  darkness  and 
hardness  are  not  beyond  God's  power.  He  has  promised  that  his  word 
shall  not  return  unto  him  void. 

We  have  a  right  to  expect  larger  results  in  the  foreign  field  at  the  present 
time  than  in  the  home  church,  where  people  have  become  gospel-hardened, 
and  where  so  many  professed  Christians  have  nothing  but  a  profession.  I 
confess  to  the  belief  that  many  methods  in  the  home  churches  are  repug- 
nant to  God,  and  can  never  gain  his  approval  or  success;  but  the  mission- 
ary may  be  free  from  these.  Let  him  set  up  a  standard,  not  formal, 
traditional,  or  according  to  custom,  but  essentially  according  to  the  gospel. 
Let  him  claim  and  expect  large  results,  and  he  will  get  them.  The  Word 
says,  "  Ask  of  me,  and  I  shall  give  thee  the  heathen  for  thine  inheritance." 
If  we  ask  now,  why  not  expect  and  claim  now  ? 

3.  Every    missionary    should    have    the  baptism    of    the  Holy    Spirit. 
Every   Christian   should   have   this   for    his  own  sake,   every  teacher  and 
preacher  for  the  sake  of  those  whom  he  teaches  ;  and  there  are  peculiar 
circumstances  attendant  upon  the  work  of  the  missionary  which  make  it  no 
less  necessary  for  him  to   possess  it.     Without  it  he  will  not  be  able  to 
make  much  of   an  impression  upon  the  heathen.      He  may  be   learned, 
logical,  and  apt,  yet  God  does  not  intend  that  anybody  but  the  Holy  Spirit 
shall  convict  and  lead  souls  to  Christ.      Man  may  become  the  instrument 
of  the  Spirit,  but  his  greatest  struggles   should  be  upon  his  knees.     This 
suggests  another  important  truth. 

4.  The  home  church  can  double  her  efficiency  for  this  work  by  seeking 
a  higher  standard  of  Christian  life.     This  would  manifest  itself  in  more 
prayerfulness  for  the  regions  beyond.      I    think  many  a  missionary   has 
fainted  largely  from  feeling  the  lack  of  the  faithful  prayers  of  the  church 
which  had  been  pledged  to  hold  him  up  ;    many  an  interest  has  failed 
which  would  have  succeeded  with  the  constant  prayers  of  the  home  church. 

The  home  church  is  apt  to  think  that  the  best  go  to  the  foreign  field, 
and  that  there  is  a  reasonable  expectation  for  much  better  things  there 
than  at  home.  This  may  be  true  if  one  sees  the  things  that  fetter  and 


SOME   CONCLUSIONS. 


139 


formalize  the  home  church,  and  has  the  courage  to  drop  them  in  the  field  ; 
but  generally  the  mission  takes  on  the  peculiarities  of  the  people  that  es- 
tablished it,  together  with  those  of  the  church  which  had  the  training  of 
the  missionary.  It  has  seemed  to  me  that  one  familiar  with  denomina- 
tions could  quite  readily  tell,  by  examining  missions  a  little,  to  just  what 
denomination  each  belonged.  Churches  that  make  the  idea  of  seed-sow- 
ing prominent  have  seed-sowing  missions.  Harvesting  churches  have 
harvesting  missions,  as  a  rule.  The  old  adage  that  "water  will  not 
rise  higher  than  its 
source  "  holds  here  ; 
the  church  is  the 
spring ;  the  mission 
is  the  stream. 

Again,  Orientals 
from  nearly  every 
country  come  to  our 
shores;  and  they  have 
the  idea,  as  one  ex- 
pressed himself,  that 
in  America  every 
man,  woman,  child, 
dog,  and  cat  are 
Christians.  What 
must  be  the  effect  upon  those  who  come  here  and,  not  having 
learned  to  discriminate  between  Christians  and  Christ-like  ones,  come 
into  contact  with  much  in  our  churches  which  has  not  the  least  sug- 
gestion of  Christianity?  I  think  they  would  not  regard  Christianity 
as  a  very  important  matter.  Let  Christianity  at  home  be  just  what 
we  would  like  to  have  it  in  India.  This  will  help  both  at  home  and 
abroad. 

Furthermore,  it  is  always  well  for  Christians  who  travel  to  take  their 
Christianity  along,  and  preach  it  all  the  way  both  by  precept  and  by  ex- 
ample. Sometimes  a  living  example  will  do  more  good  than  thousands  of 
dollars.  A  Brahman  once  said  to  a  missionary:  "  We  are  finding  you  out. 
You  are  not  as  good  as  your  Book.  If  you  were  as  good  as  your  Book, 


HARVESTING.  SANTIPORH. 


140 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


you  could  conquer   India  for   Christ  in  five  years. " — Bible  Society,  Quar- 
terly Record. 

5.  Every  mission  which  is  responsible  for  work  more  or  less  scattered, 
—  as  is  the  case  with  most  work  in  India —  should  have  a  superintendent 
in  the  field,  whose  duty  is  to  have  general  oversight  of  the  whole.  Sta- 
tion missionaries  are  especially  interested  in  their  own  station,  and  its 
needs  look  largest  to  them;  they  cannot  see  the  wants  of  another  station  as 


IN  BENGAL  AND  ORISSA. 

Rae,  Mrs.  Stiles,  Boyer,  Brown,  Miss  Butts,  Sandford,  Mary  Bacheler,  Miner,  Mrs.  Boyer, 

Mrs.  Miner,  Mrs.  Griffin,  Mrs.  Bacheler,  Dr.  Bacheler,  Mrs.  Smith,  Stacy,  Miss  Hooper, 

Mrs.  Ager,  Griffin,  Mrs.  Henderson,  Henderson,  Griffin,  Stiles,  Miss.  Coombs,  Ager. 

well ;  and  if  the  entire  field  is  not  covered,  it  is  likely  to  be  neglected,   be- 
cause every  one  is  so  busy  with  his  own  immediate  work. 

One  secret  of  the  great  success  of  the  C.  I.  Mission  is  that  J.  Hudson 
Taylor,  under  God,  is  at  the  head  of  it.  Much  of  the  success  of  the  great 
work  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  India  is  due  to  the  consecrated  general- 
ship of  Bishop  Thoburn.  The  magnificent  work  of  the  Baptist  Church 
among  the  Telugus  God  has  brought  about  through  Dr.  J.  E.  Clough. 
Such  a  man,  wise,  consecrated,  far-seeing,  persevering,  is  greatly  needed  for 
Bengal  and  Orissa.  May  he  be  speedily  found  and  sent  forth. 


SOME    CONCLUSIONS.  141 

6.  I  am  aware  that  aggressive  work  is  not  indicated  alone  by  the  num- 
bers that  hear  the  gospel  or  profess  conversion.  It  is  a  great  thing  to 
build  up  Christian  character.  We  are  told  that  the  world  might  already 
have  been  evangelized  fifty  times  ;  and  that  if  the  church  is  faithful,  the 
world  can  be  evangelized  in  the  next  ten  years.  I  would  like  to  see  this 
done,  not  only  because  it  is  our  duty,  but  also  because,  for  such  a  work  to 
be  effectual,  there  would  have  to  be  a  great  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 


GROUP  OF  BENGAL,  AND  ORISSA  MISSIONARIES. 

Boyer,  Bacheler,  Bacheler, 
Mrs.  Phillips,  Nellie  Phillips,  Mrs.  Smith,  Mrs.  Stiles,  Mrs.  Burkholder,  Miss  Butts,  Mrs.  Bacheler, 

Mrs.  Griffin,  Mrs.  Boyer,  Miss  Coombs,  Mrs.  Henderson, 
Brown,  Burkholder,  Stiles,  Mrs.  Ager,  Rae,  Ager,  Henderson. 

With  the  degree  of  the  Spirit  now  recognized  by  the  church,  conversion  is 
only  the  beginning.  One  sermon,  with  no  Christian  training,  would  have 
done  but  little  for  you  and  me.  How  much  teaching  we  have  needed  ! 

We  passed  through  Indian  villages  where  the  children  ran  screaming 
into  their  huts,  frightened  at  our  approach.  In  other  places  people  came 
to  the  preacher  and  said,  "  I  never  heard  of  this  before  ;  let  me  have  some 
books  to  read  about  it."  They  wanted  to  think  the  matter  over;  they 
needed  help.  How  much  conference  and  explanation  are  sought  by  the 
awakened  in  our  own  land  !  And  how  much  more  do  they  need  it  whose 


142  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

whole  being  is  blighted  and  hardened  by  idolatry,   and  where  to    accept 
Christ  means  to  become  an  outcast. 

Moreover,  at  home  about  eight  tenths  of  the  work  is  done  for  the  church, 
to  keep  her  in  order  ;  surely  we  can  expect  the  benighted  heathen  to  need 
no  less  instruction  than  those  who  for  centuries  have  had  Christian  influ- 
ences behind  them.  But  I  would  not  limit  God's  power.  He  is  able  to 
enlighten,  convince,  and  'develop  the  heathen  mind  in  a  brief  space  of 
time.  While  we  plan  the  machinery  for  this  great  work,  let  us  plan  for 
and  expect  a  greater  outpouring  of  God's  Spirit  than  this  world  has  ever 
witnessed.  I  believe  that  evangelization  is  the  watchword  for  the  hour. 

7.  I  am  convinced  that  native  agencies  ought  to  be  encouraged  and  de- 
veloped to   the   fullest   possible    extent.       Foreigners    cannot    Christianize 
those    dark    countries ;   they    can    introduce    the    leaven,   but  the  natives, 
spiritualized,  must  themselves  become  the  leaven.      In  every  way  a  conse- 
crated  native  is   better   calculated    to   reach    the   people  than  a  foreigner. 
Besides  they  are  better  adapted  to  their  own   climate,  and  their  wants  are 
few  and  easily  supplied. 

Missionaries  will  be  necessary  to  superintend  the  work  for  years  to 
come,  as  things  look  now  ;  but  eventually  it  must  go  into  the  hands  of  the 
natives.  Let  them  be  led  to  take  right  relations  to  God  and  to  one  an- 
other, to  share  in  responsibilities  as  fast  as  they  are  able  ;  let  the  more 
intelligent  and  promising  be  encouraged  to  engage  in  Christian  work  in 
preference  to  government  service  ;  let  those  with  an  evangelistic  spirit  be 
sent  out  to  work  among  their  people.  By  all  means,  make  the  native 
churches  self-supporting.  We  found  that  a  very  successful  plan  for  the 
development  of  native  Christians  was  carried  on  under  the  direction  of  the 
American  Board,  in  and  about  Bombay.  Rev.  Mr.  Home,  for  seventeen 
years  in  that  mission,  interested  us  very  greatly  in  this. 

8.  Missionaries  for  India  must  still  be  prepared  to  meet  persecution. 
The  English  government  is  doing  a  magnificent  work  for  this  great  empire. 
Much  effective  service  now  rendered  would  be  impossible,  were  it  not  for 
the  fact  that  Victoria  is  empress  of   this  country,   and    that  an    English 
army  is  within  easy  call  (although  I  think  England  would  be  more  just  if 
she  repealed  the  income  tax  on  missionaries,  who  are  there  for  no  personal 
gain,  but  for  the  elevation  of  her  subjects  instead). 


SOME   CONCLUSIONS.  143 

The  hatreds  of  caste  are  still  now  and  then  manifested.  At  about  the 
time  we  reached  the  country,  a  converted  woman  was  poisoned  in  Madras; 
another  was  killed  in  Hyderabad  ;  and  a  young  man  was  stoned  while  being 
baptized  in  a  northern  mission.  The  woman  murdered  at  Hyderabad  was 
of  a  high-caste  family.  Her  uncle,  who  is  supposed  to  have  instigated  the 
deed,  was  not  convicted,  and  it  is  thought  that  the  judge  was  bribed. 
His  accessory  got  only  seven  years'  imprisonment.  Many  things  are  work- 
ing together  to  break  up  caste  ;  but  before  it  is  shattered,  we  need  not  be 
surprised  if  Christians  are  compelled  to  surfer  a  repetition  of  the  hardships 
of  Cawnpore  and  Lucknow. 

But  this  work  is  very  dear  to  the  heart  of  God  ;  as  a  mother  yearns 
most  for  her  child  who  is  a  wanderer,  so  God  is  yearning  after  the  lost  one, 
—  that  one  in  the  wilderness  of  idolatry, —  more  than  for  those  in  the  fold. 
To  the  church  is  committed  the  precious  privilege  and  duty  of  carrying  to 
him  the  gospel  of  Christ;  and  every  Christian  in  this  age  of  the  world 
ought  to  have  some  part  in  the  work. 

"Going  therefore,  disciple  ye  all  the  nations,  immersing  them  into  the 
name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  teaching  them 
to  observe  all  things  as  many  as  I  myself  commanded  you  ;  and  behold,  I 
am  with  you  all  the  days,  until  the  conclusion  of  the  age."  (Rother- 
ham's  Version.)  This  is  the  injunction  of  our  Lord.  The  promise  of  his 
presence  to  the  end  of  the  age  depends  for  its  fulfillment  upon  the  going 
and  obeying;  none  but  those  who  thus  go  can  claim  it.  We  can  go  in  one 
of  three  ways  :  first,  in  person  (and  there  is  no  doubt  that  God  calls  for 
many  more  than  are  responding)  ;  second,  we»may  go  in  the  contributions 
which  we  make  to  support  those  in  the  field  ;  and  third,  we  may  go  in 
the  prayers  which  we  offer  in  faith  for  the  work.  There  is  a  sense,  then,  in 
which  all  can  go ;  and  if  we  are  not  interested  enough  in  this  great 
work  —  this  work  so  dear  to  our  Lord  —  to  go  in  one  of  these  ways,  we 
cannot  expect  to  retain  his  presence  with  us.  I  believe  that  one  great  defect 
in  the  work  of  the  home  church,  and  one  reason  for  her  lack  of  efficiency 
is  because  she  does  not  find  a  supreme  motive  in  this  injunction.  Instead 
of  trying  to  save  the  world,  the  church  is  engaged  in  the  work  of  trying 
to  save  herself.  Even  to  the  church  these  words  of  Jesus  apply,  "  Whoso- 
ever will  save  his  life,  shall  lose  it." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


EGYPT  AND  THE  WAY  FROfl  INDIA. 


HO  would  not  enjoy  a  voyage  across  the  Arabian 
Sea  after  five  weeks' travel  in  India  on  the  backs 
of  ponies,  the  shoulders  of  natives,  in  swinging 
palkees,  springless  bullock-gharries,  tom-toms, 
primeval  house-boats,  not  to  mention  a  continuous  journey  of  fourteen 
hundred  miles  across  the  continent  in  a  second-class  railway  carriage? 

Of  course  we  should  enjoy  it  !  A  difficult  journey  is  made  with  com- 
parative ease  when  the  end  in  view  is  a  desirable  one;  and  had  we  not  set 
out  for  a  country  which  had  occupied  a  position  in  sacred  history  second 
only  to  the  land  of  promise  itself, —  a  country  which  had  been  a  refuge  for 
the  remnant  of  God's  chosen  people  and  for  the  infant  Saviour  ?  Our  antici- 
pations were  high  for  what  awaited  us  in  Egypt  and  the  land  of  Palestine 
further  on  ;  and  the  way  to  it  was  neither  difficult  nor  disagreeable,  so  far 
as  we  were  concerned. 

We  took  second-class  passage  on  the  P.  and  O.  steamship  "  Sutlej  "  to 
test  these  accommodations.      Some  of  our  missionaries  had  traveled  this 
[144] 


EGYPT  AND    THE    WAY  FROM  INDIA.  145 

way  to  economize  ;  and  if  it  was  n't  good  enough  for  us,  it  was  n't  for  them. 
We  must  see.  To  be  sure,  we  did  not  have  as  many  lords  and  dukes  as  there 
were  in  the  first  cabin  ;  the  stewards  did  not  step  about  quite  as  gingerly; 
our  music-room  and  drawing-room  were  combined  in  one,  and  this  was 
turned  into  a  dining  saloon,  four  or  five  times  a  day  ;  smokers  had  to  retire 
to  the  deck  to  pull  at  their  pipes,  as  they  ought  to.  But  attention  was 
given  to  all  our  real  wants,  the  sleeping  apartments  were  all  right;  the 
food  was  abundant,  well  cooked,  and  well  served.  The  passengers  seemed 
more  like  a  family  making  a  journey  in  cosy  apartments  than  was  possible 
in  the  first  saloon.  We  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  second  class  on 
a  P.  and  O.  steamer  is  good  enough  for  anybody  ;  and  we  were  informed 
that  on  the  French  line  it  is  equally  good. 

The  "  Sutlej  "  was  kept  in  perfect  condition  ;  we  never  heard  any  or- 
ders given,  but  everything  went  on  with  military  precision.  Captain  Wor- 
cester was  unmistakably  a  commander  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word  ;  and 
yet  he  made  his  daily  round  of  social  calls,  in  first  and  second  cabin,  chat- 
ting good-humoredly  here,  and  stopping  a  moment  there  to  cheer  up  some 
forlorn  victim  of  what  Mark  Twain  is  pleased  to  term  the  "  O  my,"  until 
everybody  would  forget  that  he  was  other  than  "  one  of  us." 

Among  the  passengers  were  several  missionaries  from  India  returning 
to  America  for  rest, —  Rev.  F.  L.  Neeld  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
going  from  Braily  ;  Miss  Mary  Graybiel,  of  the  Christian  Woman's  Society  ; 
Mrs.  E.  B.  Maxwell,  from  Lucknow,  also  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  ;  Rev.  E.  S.  Hume  and  family,  of  Bombay,  in  the  employ  of  the 
American  Board.  The  tender  manifestation  of  love  on  the  part  of  native 
Christians  as  they  namaskared  the  Humes  at  Bombay,  embracing  them  in 
tears,  and  covering  them  with  festoons  of  beautiful  flowers,  was  touching 
indeed.  We  could  only  say,  "What  hath  God  wrought?"  Bishop  Wilson, 
of  the  Southern  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  traveling  in  the  interest  of 
missions,  was  also  aboard.  With  these  experienced  workers  we  enjoyed  many 
pleasant  and  profitable  conversations  on  our  way  to  Ismailia. 

Five  days  and  seven  hours  upon  the  Arabian  Sea  ere  we  dropped 
anchor  at  Aden,  a  rocky,  barren-looking  place,  held  by  the  English, 
strongly  fortified,  and  called  the  "  Indian  Gibralter  ! "  The  place  is 
crater-like  in  form,  composed  of  lofty,  precipitous  hills,  whose  exterior 


146  IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

sides  slope  toward  the  sea.  This  peninsula  is  connected  with  the  Arabian 
continent  on  the  north  by  a  narrow  neck  of  land  partially  covered  by  the 
sea,  at  high  tides.  The  town  and  military  cantonment  are  within  the 
crater. 

The  natives  of  Aden  and  of  the  opposite  coast — the  Somalis — are  a 
fine  Arab  race,  physically  ;  they  row  out  from  the  shore  at  a  vigorous 
speed,  display  their  ostrich  feathers  and  curios  for  sale,  and  dive  for  the 
coin  thrown  overboard.  There  are  about  thirty-five  thousand  inhabitants 
here,  all  under  control  of  the  Bombay  presidency.  Here  is  where  the  re- 
nowned Mocha  coffee  is  shipped,  Mocha,  or  Mokha,  being  situated  on  the 
mainland  of  Arabia  not  far  from  Aden.  The  greater  part  of  the  Mokha 
commerce,  however,  comes  now  from  Hodeidah,  farther  up  the  coast, 
where  there  are  rich  coffee  plantations. 

Michaelis  was  in  favor  of  identifying  Aden  with  the  Eden  of  Ezekiel. 
In  the  fourth  century  of  the  Christian  era  it  is  spoken  of  as  the  locality  of 
a  church  erected  by  the  embassy  of  Constantius,  son  of  the  emperor  Con- 
stantine. 

THE  RED  SEA. 

It  is  a  distance  of  fourteen  miles  across  the  Straits  Babu'l-Mandeb  (the 
Gate  of  tears)  ;  passing  through  this  gate,  we  are  in  the  famous  Red  Sea. 
Why  it  is  called  "  red "  we  do  not  know;  the  Hebrew  words  translated, 
"  red  sea"  mean  literally  "  sea  of  weeds."  The  Roman  "Mare  Rubrum" 
was  also  the  Sea  of  Edom,  which  means  "red."  To  the  Arabs  it  is  the 
"  Bahr  Malch,"  or  Salt  Sea.  Its  waters  are  like  those  of  other  seas,  and 
the  red  coral  which  abounds  is  not  sufficient  to  generalize  its  appearance. 

In  the  straits,  and  upon  our  right,  appeared  low-lying  and  ugly  rocks, 
one  of  them  being  almost  a  perfect  reproduction  of  one  of  the  crouching 
lions  in  Trafalgar  Square.  Upon  our  left  was  Perim,  an  island  of  seven 
square  miles,  upon  which  is  an  English  garrison  ;  near  it  we  saw  the 
"  Hong- Kong, "  a  ship  of  over  five  thousand  tons,  going  to  pieces  upon  the 
rocks,  where  she  had  struck  about  six  weeks  before.  Two  other  wrecks 
were  also  in  sight  of  this  one.  What  is  a  grander  sight  than  that  of  a  ship 
riding  proudly  upon  the  sea? — None,  except  it  be  a  man  living  and  acting 
manfully.  Where  shall  we  see  a  sadder  sight  than  that  of  a  ship  going  to 


EGYPT  AND    THE    WAY  FROM  INDIA.  147 

pieces  upon  the  rocks? — Nowhere,  except  in  a  human  being  wrecked.  The 
Red  Sea  is  nowhere  more  than  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  in  width. 
Rocks  are  so  common  and  often  in  such  near  proximity  to  the  course  of 
the  vessel  that  one  would  suppose  navigation  here  to  be  somewhat  difficult 
in  a  dark  night. 

The  comfortable  atmosphere  with  which  we  set  out  on  our  voyage  soon 
becomes  very  torrid  ;  by  night  the  decks  are  filled  with  mattresses  and 
sleepers,  while  by  day  only  the  thinnest  of  apparel  is  worn.  The  punkah- 
wallah  (the  servant  who  operates  the  punkahs,  or  large  fans)  is  everywhere 
busy,  nevertheless  the  heat  is  very  oppressive.  Everybody  is  relieved  when 
we  near  the  upper  end  of  the  sea,  and  meet  the  strong,  cool  wind  from  the 
north,  although  it  sometimes  sweeps  the  salt  spray  high  over  the  smoke- 
stack of  the  "Sutlej."  After  four  days  in  the  Red  Sea,  traversing  a  dis- 
tance of  twelve  hundred  miles,  we  reach  Suez,  the  southern  gateway  of  the 
canal,  where  for  an  hour  and  a  half  our  ship  rests  her  sea-tossed  keel,  and 
we  receive  the  congratulations  of  curio  venders,  and  declaimers  for  back- 
shish. 

Not  far  below  here  we  had  crossed  the  unseen  path  once  made  bare 
and  dry  for  the  children  of  Israel  in  their  escape  from  Egypt.  We  seemed 
almost  to  see  the  defenseless  hosts,  rescued  by  the  very  hand  of  God,  as- 
cend from  their  sea-girt  path  to  the  rocky  shores  of  Arabia  ;  almost  to  hear 
the  clanging  cymbals,  and  the  voices  singing  :  "  The  Lord  is  my  strength 
and  song,  and  he  is  become  my  salvation,"  while  the  hosts  of  Pharaoh 
were  overwhelmed  in  the  flood.  Upon  our  right,  too,  as  the  ship  made 
the  gulf,  could  be  seen  the  top  of  Sinai. 

SUEZ  AND  THE  CANAL. 

Suez  is  indeed  a  city  of  the  desert,  and  for  centuries  has  been  the  great 
crossing  place  for  eastern  and  western  migrations.  The  docks  appear 
European,  but  a  closer  inspection  of  the  place  reveals  bazaars  and  alleys, 
decidedly  Egyptian,  with  beautiful  latticed  windows  very  prominent.  The 
town  looks  small,  drawn  out  upon  the  water-line,  but  fifteen  thousand 
people  are  huddled  together  here  ;  and  it  would  not  be  strange  if  sometime 
a  large  commercial  city  should  grow  up  here,  or  at  the  entrance  to  the 
canal.  This  entrance  is  about  three  miles  from  the  head  of  the  gulf,  at  a 


148  IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

point  whose  official  name  is  Port  Tewfik,  but  which  is  locally  called  Terre- 
plein.  It  has  only  a  few  houses,  among  them  the  Southern  offices  of  the  Suez 
canal  company,  shaded  by  an  avenue  of  beautiful  sont  and  lebbek  trees. 

As  we  enter  the  canal,  we  see  on  the  left  the  green  serpentine  banks  of 
the  old  canal  running  from  the  Nile,  with  here  and  there  the  plumy  crown 
of  palms.  The  shriek  of  a  locomotive  comes  from  the  northern-bound 
train  hurrying  along  and  leaving  behind  a  trail  of  black  smoke, —  the  in- 
novation of  civilization  which  is  resurrecting  the  buried  life  of  Egypt  to  a 
prospect  which  it  never  before  knew.  More  slowly,  heavily  laden  fleets 
of  desert  ships  in  train,  with  a  single  driver  to  a  group,  move  along  over 
the  sand.  Behind  all  is  a  range  of  hills,  almost  mountain-like  —  the  Genet' - 
feh  range.  Perhaps  Moses  and  Israel  found  a  refuge  there  in  their  flight. 
Upon  our  right  are  the  sands  of  Arabia  ;  and  as  we  pass  on,  there  is  noth- 
ing but  sand,  —  sand  to  right,  sand  to  left,  sand  before,  sand  behind, 
stretching  out  to  the  mauvine  sky,  and  broken  only  by  the  sky-reflecting 
ribbon  along  which  our  ship  slowly  moves. 

The  average  width  of  the  canal  is  about  twenty-five  yards,  and  ships  are 
allowed  to  move  only  at  the  rate  of  about  five  miles  an  hour,  being  piloted 
on  the  "block  system."  At  each  station  are  signal  posts,  from  which 
ships  are  directed  to  "tie  up  "  at  the  siding,  or  go  on  into  the  canal,  ac- 
cording as  they  or  others  have  the  right  of  way.  Every  ship  is  supplied 
with  a  full  code  of  signals,  for  use  by  day  and  by  night;  and  those  only 
which  are  provided  with  an  electric  projector  that  can  throw  a  light  thir- 
teen hundred  yards,  are  allowed  to  navigate  the  canal  by  night;  but  ships 
may  pass  each  other  freely  and  at  full  speed  in  the  Bitter  Lakes. 

The  construction  of  this  canal  was  a  great  undertaking.  If  M.  de 
Lesseps  achieved  no  enviable  reputation  at  Panama,  his  perseverance, 
skill,  and  accomplishment,  as  manifested  in  this  great  work,  have  made  it 
worthy  to  live  beside  those  older  monuments  on  the  other  side  of  the  Nile. 

This  shorter  way  from  Europe  to  India  is  not  only  a  blessing  to  com- 
merce, but  also  to  the  traveler  and  the  missionary.  Memory  faces 
us,  however,  with  the  stern  and  pitiful  fact  that,  as  'is  'true  of  the  Taj 
and  the  Pyramids,  this  canal  was  constructed  largely  by  forced  labor,  the 
workmen  receiving  a  mere  pittance,  and  hordes  of  them  dying  like  cattle 
under  the  burning  sun.  It  is  a  sad  fact  that  the  business  eye  sees  in  de- 


EGYPT  AXD    THE    WAY  FROM  INDIA.  149 

graded  humanity  only  animals  for  service  ;  it  is  Christianity  which  finds  in 
them  candidates  for  friends  with  Jesus  Christ.  Although  the  minaret, 
from  which  sounds  out  the  call  to  prayer  rises  from  every  Mohammedan 
shrine,  and  Mecca  herself  is  not  far  away,  Christianity  is  the  only  hope 
for  these  wild  and  bitter  sons  of  the  desert. 

As  we  proceed  upon  our  way,  the  thought  of  events  which  occurred 
many  centuries  ago,  making  sacred  these  shifting  desert  sands,  fills  our 
minds.  No  doubt  Moses  and  his  people,  when  they  made  their  bold  strike 
for  freedom  and  the  promised  land,  twice  crossed  the  way  traversed  by  the 
canal:  once  going  east  above  the  Bitter  Lakes;  and  again  when,  as  they 
are  thought  to  have  done,  they  turned  to  the  west,  and  crossed  just  below 
these  lakes  and  made  their  final  westward  exit  across  the  head  of  the  Gulf 
of  Suez.  The  natives  point  out  to  us  the  chapel  of  "  Our  Lady  of  the 
Desert,"  which  is  said  to  stand  upon  the  spot  where  the  child  Jesus,  with 
Joseph  and  Mary,  tarried  all  night  in  their  flight  into  Egypt ;  while  further 
on,  and  above  Lake  Timsah,  there  is  a  firmer  strip  of  land  said  to  be  the 
ancient  desert  route  to  Syria. 

ISMAILIA. 

We  reached  Ismailia  just  as  the  sun  was  going  down  among  clouds  of 
crimson  glory,  whose  reflection  fell  upon  the  rambling  town,  and  stealing 
through  the  tree  branches,  crimsoned  the  water  about  us.  It  was  beautiful, 
and  we  were  going  toward  the  sunset ;  so  saying  good-by  to  our  fellow- 
travelers,  we  parted  with  our  good  ship,  and  found  a  substitute  in  the 
Hotel  Victoria,  which  is  Oriental  enough  to  satisfy  any  one.  We  entered 
it  through  a  kind  of  portcullis  way,  passed  through  a  large  room  which 
might  have  served  as  an  office,  if  it  had  had  a  counter  with  a  clerk  behind 
it,  and  a  row  of  bell-boys  sitting  by  ;  but  it  was  void  of  such  modern  conven- 
iences, and  we  passed  through  into  the  court,  from  which  an  ample  stairway 
led  to  the  sleeping-rooms  above.  The  rooms  were  comfortable  ;  but  when 
night  came  on,  we  found  that  the  only  thing  to  mitigate  the  darkness  of 
Egypt  was  a  tallow  dip.  Yes,  this  was  Egypt  —  no  doubt  about  it  —  and 
we  soon  concluded  that  all  the  plagues  visited  upon  Pharaoh  and  his  people 
in  Moses's  time  had  remained.  In  order  to  get  any  sleep  we  were  obliged 
to  use  insect  powder  freely. 


150 


IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


We  saw  camels  in  plenty  here,  stalking  with  tardy  stride  but  lofty  bear- 
ing, and  blinking  as  though  trying  to  wake  up  from  a  Rip  Van  Winkle 
sleep  ;  and  donkeys,  too,  with  flopping  ears  and  plodding  steps,  and  a  bray 
which  —  well,  it  discounted  the  yell  of  the  Indian  jackal,  and  was  a  worthy 
rival  of  the  "siren  whistle."  Donkeys  and  donkey  boys  from  the  quay  to 
the  hotel  were  as  numerous  as  the  incoming  guests.  My  companion 

seemed  to  have  an  affinity 
for  them,  which  at  one  time 
gave  me  some  uneasiness, 
lest  he  should  get  mixed  up 
and  lost  in  the  crowd. 

These  donkeys  and 
sonsy  drivers  ranged  them- 
selves in  a  double  row  un- 
der the  balcony  of  the 
hotel,  and  we  were  coaxed 
to  ride  every  time  we  made 
an  appearance.  My  friend 
could  not  wait  long,  for  that 
very  night,  as  they  pointed 
out  to  him,  "Mary  Ander- 
son," "Mrs.  Langtry,"  the 
"Grand  Old  Man,"  and 
"Yankee  Doodle,"  the  pas- 
sion to  ride  took  possession 
of  him ;  and  when  these 
knavish  grooms  found  that 
he  was  a  "stars  and  stripes"  man,  each  declared  that  his  donkey  was  of  the 
Yankee  Doodle  sort.  So  taking  his  choice,  he  did  the  town  most  satisfac- 
torily. Taking  my  ride  the  next  morning,  I  enjoyed  the  French  quarter, 
the  deserted  palace  and  grounds  of  the  khedive,  but  was  disgusted  with  the 
filth  and  squalor  of  the  native  quarters,  and  even  more  with  my  donkey 
driver,  who  insisted  that  I  should  visit  with  him,  some  bawdy  houses;  and 
I  must  say  that  moral  corruption,  bold  and  defiant,  came  to  my  attention 
more  in  Egypt  than  in  any  country  which  I  visited.  It  seemed  that 


EGYPT  AND    THE    WAY  FROM  INDIA. 


151 


Ishmael's  hand  was  lifted  against  every  man,  and  that  he  thought  every 
man's  hand  was  against  him,  no  less  in  a  moral  sense  than  in  all  others. 

Ismailia  was  orginally  planned  with  artistic  taste,  and  the  outlook 
toward  the  water  is  beautiful ;  but  the  drainage  found  its  way  into  the 
fresh-water  canal, —  the  peoples'  source  of  supply, —  and  the  fever-stricken 
inhabitants,  for  the  most  part  fled.  Lord  Woolseley's  campaign  in  1882 
enlivened  the  place  somewhat,  filling  the  canal  and  lakes  with  transports 
and  war-ships.  While  Arabi  with  his  troops  held  Alexandria,  the  British 
seized  Ismailia,  and  pushed  on  to  Tel-el-Kebeer  and  Cairo. 

THE  LAND  OF  GOSHEN  AND  CAIRO. 

Our  way  to  Cairo  was  by  train,  and  we  were  glad  when  it  started  ;  for  it 
seemed  as  though  nearly  every  person  whom  we  had  looked  at  in  this  little 
town  accompanied 
us  to  the  train  and 
thrust  his  hand 
through  the  doors 
and  car  windows  for 
backshish.  The  car 
itself  was  not  of  the 
most  comfortable 
sort  ;  it  rattled  con- 
siderably, and  appar- 
ently the  ever-sifting 
dust  felt  welcome; 
for  it  rested  impar- 
tially upon  us  all. 
We  were  also  twice 
entertained  by  brawls 
between  native  trav- 
eling companions 
and  the  guard,  one  over  a  seat  and  the  other  over  a  broken  pane  of  glass, 
both  of  which  waxed  mighty  in  sound,  labials  and  gutterals  predominating. 
I  could  not  understand  what  was  said,  but  had  no  doubt  that  they  regarded 
each  other  as  "dogs  "  and  "  hogs, "and  that  they  did  not  hesitate  to  say  so. 


AFRICAN  WARRIORS. 


152  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

The  first  part  of  this  journey  is  through  heaps  of  desert  sand;  but  after 
an  hour  or  so  we  occasionally  catch  glimpses  of  palms  and  green  spots  ; 
and  the  green  increases  until  the  desert  blossoms  as  a  rose,  and  all  about 
us  are  "  fields  of  living  green," — the  garden,  not  of  Eden,  but  of  Goshen, 
where  dwelt  Jacob  and  his  sons  in  the  days  of  the  Pharaoh's.  If  it  was  as 
prolific  then  as  now,  anything  better  must  indeed  have  been  a  "  land  of 
milk  and  honey." 

We  pass  through  Zagazig,  a  large  Arab  city,  and  leave  on  the  left,  stretch- 
ing away  for  miles,  the  ruins  of  a  city  called  Tel  Basta,  named  from,  and 
sacred  to,  the  holy  cat,  whose  worship  was  very  extensive  in  ancient  Egypt. 
Among  these  ruins  have  been  found  countless  images  of  Bast,  some  larger 
than  life  and  some  only  mites. 

Now  the  green  of  the  country  is  broken  by  fields  of  blue  flax,  then  by 
golden  mustard,  and  again  by  black  loam,  as  with  a  single  bullock  or 
camel,  and  a  one-handled,  steel-pointed  plow,  a  native  turns  over  the 
sward.  Three  abundant  crops  a  year  are  not  too  much  for  this  rich  soil  to 
bear ;  while,  were  it  not  for  irrigation,  it  would  be  like  the  sand  heaps 
about  Ismailia.  Little  canals  run  in  every  direction,  all  being  supplied 
from  the  bosom  of  mother  Nile.  Sometimes  the  water  is  raised  by  the 
clumsy  sakeeyeh,  a  water-wheel ;  sometimes  by  the  shadoof,  a  leathern  bucket 
on  the  end  of  a  pole,  worked  over  a  horizontal  bar.  Wind-mills  and  steam- 
pumps  are  gradually  coming  into  use ;  why  not  a  modern  plow  ? 

The  people  whom  we  see  going  to  and  fro  interest  us.  Their  dress  is 
of  many  colors :  black,  scarlet,  yellow,  blue,  white,  and  many  others  being 
common.  A  long  robe  and  turban,  dark  skin  and  black  beard,  suggest  the 
native  man  of  business.  The  people  usually  seem  happy,  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  the  sultan  exacts  taxes  to  the  uttermost.  Long  lines  of  camels 
tied  together  carry  panniers  of  oranges,  bundles  of  sticks,  or  green  fodder  ; 
a  donkey  passes,  upon  which  a  man,  woman,  and  children  take  turns  in 
riding.  The  lotus  fringes  every  marshy  pool,  and  birds  fill  the  air. 

"Kalioob,  Cairo  next  !  "  This  announcement  brought  us  close  to  the 
window,  to  gain  our  first  view  of  the  wonderful  Pyramids.  The  crimson 
light  of  the  Egyptian  heavens,  which  gives  everything  such,  a  peculiar 
tinge,  was  deepened  by  the  approaching  sunset ;  upon  fields,  orange 
orchards,  plumy  palms,  and  hard  walls,  it  dropped  its  mantle  of  fire,  while 


EGYPT  AND    THE    WAY  FROM  INDIA. 


153 


over  all,  and  toward  the  west,  Cheops  cleft  the  lurid  sky  like  a  co- 
lossal wedge  of  pink  shaded  with  violet.  At  last  one  dream  of  my  boy- 
hood was  realized, —  I  looked  upon  the  Pyramids.  I  felt  as  though  in  the 
presence  of  majesty  and  age,  and  the  voices  of  the  dead  seemed  to  say, 
"  Forty  centuries  are  looking  down  upon  you."  . 

But  there  is  very  little  opportunity  for  reverie  in  an  Egyptian  railroad 
station  ;  the  babel  of  voices,  the  scramble  for  both  yourself  and  your 
luggage,  leads  you  to  wonder  whether  every  person  in  the  mob  doe,s  not  in- 
tend to  have  a  piece  of  you.  How  you  are  to  protect  yourself,  get  what 
you  want,  and  leave  the  rest,  are  questions  that  demand  personal  attention. 
Here,  as  elewhere,  we  congratulated  ourselves  that  we  were  traveling  in 
charge  of  "Thomas  Cook  and  Son;"  for  their  messengers  were  ever 
ready  to  attend  to  our  needs. 

Hotels  were  comfortable,  and  we  had  no  more  palatable  food   served 
on  our  tour  than  in  Cairo  and  Alexandria  ;  but  nowhere  did  we  get  beyond 
the  tallow  dip,  or  the  need  of 
insect  powder. 

Cairo  is  a  great  city,  hav- 
ing a  population  of  nearly  four 
hundred  thousand,  of  which 
twenty  thousand  are  Europe- 
ans. Portions  of  it  are  quite 
modernly  Oriental,  —  if  that 
means  modern  arrangements 
with  a  good  deal  of  Oriental 
style,  — but  the  portions  which 
are  of  most  interest  date  back 
to  the  Saracens,  and  the  Ca- 
liphs. It  does  not  take  us 
long  to  find  the  narrow  and 
crooked  streets  among  the  na- 
tive manufacturers  and  dealers 
—  dealers  manufacture  and 
sell  at  the  same  place.  Each 
trade  is  by  itself.  In  one  alley 

STREET  IN  CAIRO. 


154 


IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


or  bazaar  are  found  dealers  in  shoes  and  slippers  ;  in  another,  dealers  in 
many- colored  robes  or  red  caps;  while  in  an  opposite  direction  are  the 
workers  in  gold,  silver,  or  brass.  The  shops  are  like  little  dens,  and 
most  of  the  wares  are  within  reaching  distance.  If  the  first  price  asked 
is  beyond  the  limit  of  your  purse,  do  not  be  surprised  ;  because  it  is  not 
expected  that  you  will  pay  half  of  it.  It  comes  rather  hard  to  one  not 

accustomed  to  dicker,  to  ac- 
commodate himself  to  Egyp- 
tian bazaars ;  but  it  is  the 
custom  there,  to  beat  down 
the  dealer  one  half  or  two 
thirds  of  his  price,  and  settle 
under  protest ;  in  fact,  this  is 
quite  largely  the  manner  of 
dealing  in  all  Oriental  coun- 
tries. 

We  went  to  the  Mohamme- 
dan university,  where  gratui- 
tious  instruction  is  given  in 
the  Koran.  The  number  of 
students  has  been  as  high  as 
ten  thousand  at  a  time;  we 
were  glad  to  learn  that  only 
seven  thousand  were  in  atten- 
dance at  the  time  of  our  visit. 
On  our  way,  we  met  a  jostling 
crowd  of  men  and  women  with 
wares  upon  their  heads,  and  skins  of  water  upon  their  shoulders.  A  tink- 
ling bell  caused  us  to  look  up,  and  with  due  respect  we  turned  aside  for  a 
"ship  of  the  desert  "  to  pass.  The  camel  was  decorated  and  draped  with 
gilt  and  colors  ;  upon  its  high  hump  rose  higher  still  a  gorgeous  palanquin, 
in  which,  carefully  secluded,  was  a  woman,  on  her  way  to  Mecca.  A  bell 
hung  from  a  yoke  over  the  animal's  shoulders  to  denote  its  approach  ;  a 
black  boy  held  the  tether  and  walked  by  its  side,  showing  that  this  turn-out 
had  come  all  the  way  from  Nubia.  Ten  minutes'  ride  in  such  a  manner 


EGYPTIAN  LADY. 


EGYPT  AND    THE    WAY  FROM  INDIA. 


155 


would  be  hard  for  me.  What  a  religious  devotion  that  must  be  which 
takes  one  from  Nubia  to  Mecca  upon  a  ship  which  rocks  more  violently 
than  an  Atlantic  steamer  ! 

VIEW  FROM  THE  CITADEL. 

A  visit  to  the  tombs  of  the  Borjite  Mamelukes  (commonly  called  the 
Tombs  of  the  Caliphs)  richly  pays  one  for  his  trouble.  They  are  fast  fall- 
ing into  ruin,  for  their  race  was  extinguished  by  Mohammed  Ali,  whose 
personal  treachery  to  their  last  survivors  was  enough  to  cause  his  friends 


to  want  to  forget  them.  Yet  the  ruin  is  that  of  beauty;  domes  and  mina- 
rets still  bear  most  artistic  decorations,  and  inside,  the  fragments  of 
mosaics,  arabesques,  and  varied  architecture  reveal  what  was  once  more 
beautiful  than  a  dream,  although  it  was  built  to  cover  the  dead. 

We  also  visited  the  mosque  of  Mohammed  Ali,  in  the  citadel  upon  the 
hill,  to  see  this  great  monument  of  the  founder  of  the  present  rulers  of 
Egypt,  and  to  get  a  view  from  the  lofty  eminence.  Many  think  the 
mosque  unlovely,  but  I  admired  its  architectural  design.  Inside  the  high 
walls  it  rises  dome  against  dome,  to  that  perfected  one  in  the  center ;  in 
front  and  high  over  all,  appear  the  two  slender  minarets,  piercing  the  sky 
like  delicate  twin  needles. 


156  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

After  exchanging  our  shoes  for  soft  slippers,  which  protect  the  elegant 
rugs  and  become  an  excuse  for  backshish,  we  enter  a  vast  auditorium,  the 
light  of  which  falls  from  beautiful  windows,  glances  from  immense  cnt- 
glass  chandeliers,  and  scatters  many  hues  upon  Damascus  rugs, —  which 
need  no  added  loveliness.  For  a  few  feet  only,  the  walls  are  lined  with 
alabaster,  while  the  portion  above  is  finished  with  a  poor  imitation  in 
paint.  High,  high  above  us  the  central  dome  rises,  and  returns  our  con- 
versation in  silvery  fragments  blent  harmoniously.  Behind  a  bronze  screen 
stands  the  tomb  of  the  pasha,  draped  with  gold-embroidered  black  cloth. 
The  screen  is  interwoven  with  waxy  foliage  fresh  every  mo-rning.  We  are 
allowed  to  gather  a  spray. 

But  we  care  most  for  the  outside  view.  Immediately  in  front  of  the 
mosque  is  a  large,  marble-paved  court,  surrounded  by  a  high  wall,  and 
having  in  its  center  an  elegantly  carved  marble  fountain,  in  which  a 
a  flock  of  birds  is  laving.  Just  beyond  is  the  fort,  with  the  sentinels  keep- 
ing their  tireless  beat ;  to  right  and  left  and  before  us  Cairo  is  spread  out 
across  the  plain  below.  It  is  a  beautiful  picture  —  buildings,  domes, 
minarets,  and  intersecting  streets  ;  a  city  of  mosques  —  the  natives  claiming 
that  there  is  one  for  every  day  in  the  year.  Toward  the  south  is  old  Cairo ; 
while  toward  the  west,  and  separating  most  of  the  city  from  the  green 
fields  beyond,  the  Nile,  foster-mother  of  Egyptian  agriculture,  winds  to- 
ward the  sea.  Still  beyond,  and  seven  miles  away,  sitting  in  the  lap  of 
the  desert,  are  the  Pyramids. 

Before  leaving  the  hill,  we  went  to  the  rear  court  and  looked  over  that 
steep  abyss  into  which  the  last  Mameluke  leaped  on  horseback  when 
Mohammed  Ali  feasted  and  then  massacred  his  companions.  It  could 
only  be  a  choice  between  death  at  the  hands  of  the  Turks  or  upon  the 
ragged  stones  below.  "One  moment  in  the  air  ;  another,  and  he  was  dis- 
engaging himself  from  his  crushed  and  dying  horse,  amid  a  shower  of 
bullets.  He  escaped,  and  found  shelter  in  the  sanctuary  of  a  mosque,  and 
ultimately  in  the  deserts  of  the  Thebaid."  Near  by  is  a  well  called  Joseph's 
Well,  sunk  through  sand  and  rock  to  the  level  of  the  Nile,  two  hundred  and 
sixty  feet. 

The  isle  of  Roda  (or  Roudah)  had  special  attractions  for  us,  because 
the  natives  point  out  the  spot  where  Pharaoh's  daughter,  coming  down  to 


EGYPT  AND    THE    WAY  FROM  INDIA. 


157 


bathe,  found  Moses  in  the  rush  basket.  We  crossed  to  the  island  in  a 
rude  ferry  impelled  by  native  muscle.  Reeds  and  rushes  displaced  by 
peach-trees  pink  with  blossoms,  lemon-trees  golden  with  fruit;  a  long  flight 
of  broad,  low  stone  steps,  rising  from  the  water's  edge,  mossy  and  wet ;  a 
few  oriental  villas  and  a  summer-house  or  two  ;  "Moses's  well ;  "  the  Nile 
on  either  side  —  that  is  Roda.  How  true  the  traditions  of  the  past  concern- 
ing this  spot  may  be  we  can- 
not tell  ;  we  are  satisfied  not 
to  question,  but  to  feel  that 
this  is  a  sacred  place  in  the 
light  of  both  history  and  tra- 
dition, and  to  thank  God  for 
him  who  though  cradled  in 
the  Nile,  and  buried  in  some 
cleft  of  Nebo,  lived  for  every 
succeeding  age. 

THE  PYRAMIDS  AND 
THE  SPHINX. 

Our  visit  to  the  Pyramids 
occupied  the  most  of  the  day. 
We  crossed  the  Nile  upon  a 
staunch  iron  bridge,  a  part  of 
which  is  open  one  hour  in 
twenty-four  to  allow  the  boats 
to  pass  through.  At  our  right 
were  forests  of  inclining 
masts,  where  a  multitude  of  Arab  dhows  were  huddled  together;  upon  the 
west  bank  and  through  the  palms,  the  khedive's  palace  and  elegant  grounds 
were  to  be  seen  ;  while  to  our  left  was  old  Cairo  and  the  peculiar  Nilome- 
ter,  by  which  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  river  are  measured. 

The  inundations  of  the  river  are  a  source  of  constant  solicitude.  A 
low  Nile  means  starvation  for  thousands.  It  receives  its  overflow  from  the 
rains  of  central  Africa,  and  for  eighteen  hundred  miles  has  no  affluents, 
while  it  is  constantly  feeding  canals  and  reservoirs.  The  average  differ- 


THE  NILE. 


158 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


ence  between  high  and  low  water  is  about  twenty-six  feet.     Twenty-two 
cubits  of  water  are  necessary  for  a  complete  inundation. 

The  way  to  the  Pyramids  is  over  a  smooth,  hard  road,  shaded  on  either 
side  by  acacias,  crossing  irrigating  canals,  fields  of  rich  green  millet,  blue 

flax,  and  golden 
mustard,  and  fre- 
quently thronged 
with  donkeys  and 
camels  bearing 
heavy  loads.  I 
think  we  met  about 
five  hundred  of  the 
latter,  sometimes  ten 
or  twelve  of  them 
tied  together  tandem. 
In  all,  there  are 
about  sixty  of  the 
Pyramids  in  Egypt. 
From  the  citadel 
mosque  we  could 
see  those  of  Sakara 
and  Dashoor  upon 
the  southwestern  horizon;  nearer,  those  of  Abooseer;  and  nearer  still, 
those  of  Zowyet-el-Arrian  in  ruins.  There  are  nine  at  Geezeh,  six  of 
them  very  small.  Without  doubt  each  was  built  as  the  sepulcher  of  some 
sovereign,,  the  largest  ones  for  kings. 

Leaving  our  landau  at  the  foot  of  a  plateau  rising  forty  feet  above  us, 
we  walk  to  the  great  Pyramids,  immediately  attended  by  an  accumulating 
crowd  of  curio-venders,  guides,  and  camel-drivers.  We  come  first  to 
Cheops,  the  largest  one,  rising  four  hundred  and  sixty  feet  toward  the  sky, 
and  covering  an  expanse  of  thirteen  acres  at  the  base.  The  smooth-sur- 
faced sides  have  been  taken  off,  and  up  the  stone  steps  four  feet  deep, 
sweating  guides  pull  and  push  their  confiding  globe-trotter,  for  "back- 
shish ; "  untwisting  their  turbans,  and  throwing  them  around  his  body 
under  the  arms,  they  gently  hold  him  back  for  "backshish." 


PAVILION  IN  KHEDIVE'S  GARDEN. 


EGYPT  AND    THE    WAY  FROM  INDIA. 


159 


Descending  to  within  about  forty  feet  of  the  base  of  the  northern  side, 
they  take  him,  sliding  and  creeping,  sixty  feet  through  a  descending  gal- 
lery, then  to  the  edge  of  a  well  one  hundred  and  ninety-one  feet  deep; 
then  they  push  him  up  an  ascending  passage  for  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  feet,  to  the  great  gallery,  one  hundred  and  fifty-one  feet  long.  Beyond 
this  is  a  descending  gallery,  very  narrow,  through  which  the  traveler  crawls 
to  the  King's  Chamber,  thirty-four  feet  long,  seventeen  broad,  and  nine- 
teen high.  An  empty  sarcophagus  is  here,  which  doubtless  contained  the 
body  of  Cheops,  as  the  Greek  historians  write  it,  but  whom  the  Egyptians 
call  Chufu  ;  the  Queen's  Chamber  is  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  away. 
Back  through  the  same  dismal  passages  they  lead  and  push  him  until, 
panting,  begrimed, 
and  almost  dazed,  he 
emerges  from  this 
stupendous  tomb,  to 
hear  the  same  old 
clamor  for  "back- 
shish."  One  would 
not  be  blamed  for 
asking  whether  after 
all,  Cheops  might 
not  have  been 
erected  as  a  monu- 
ment to  "back- 
shish." 

The  second  Pyra- 
mid stands  on  higher 
ground,  and  has  a 
steeper  angle,  but  is 
inferior  in  its  con- 
struction. The  third 
is  better  in  construction,  but  much  smaller.  In  it  was  found  the  wooden 
coffin  and  body,  now  in  the  British  Museum,  thought  to  be  that  of  Men- 
kaoora,  probably  the  Mycerinus  of  the  Greeks. 

A  Roman  temple  buried  in  the  sand  is  on  our  way  to  the  Sphinx  ;  we 


PYRAMIDS. 


160  IN   THE  PA  TH  OF  LIGHT. 

take  a  glimpse  at  its  once  beautiful  pillars  and  marble  walls,  and  fly  from 
the  curio-venders,  who  are  "willing  to  go  to  Rome  also."  I  suspect 
that  many  of  these  curios  were  made  in  England,  but  we  indulged  in  a 
few  coins,  images,  and  scarabs  after  our  dragoman  had  pronounced  them 
genuine.  Surely  they  were  moldy  enough  to  have  adorned  a  mummy  for 
four  thousand  years. 

The  Sphinx,  a  man's  head  upon  a  lion's  body,  looks  weird  enough  in 
that  sand  heap  ;  but  to  me  it  is  beautiful,  grand,  mysterious.  The  rainless 
centuries  have  come  and  gone  ;  dynasties  of  Ethiopia,  Egypt,  Greece, 
Rome,  Arabia  have  arisen  and  passed  away  during  its  existence  ;  travelers 
from  every  clime  have  looked  up  to  its  scarred  visage  ;  and  while  it  has 
seen  all  this  and  much  more,  the  Sphinx  has  directed  its  steady  gaze  to  the 
far-off  horizon,  as  though  it  saw  in  that  sky  things  we  see  not,  and  knew 
things  we  know  not,  and  was  looking  for  the  coming  of  a  long-expected 
morning,  or  for  a  king  who  should  reign  forever.  That  head  never  alters 
its  expectant  poise  ;  those  eyes  never  change  their  steady  gaze,  under  burn- 
ing sun  or  starlit  night.  It  seemed  to  me  like  a  mighty  creature  so  lost  in 
contemplation  of  the  Almighty  that  I  longed  to  sit  down  and  contemplate 
Him  too.  With  me  the  Sphinx  accomplished  what  some  Catholic  images 
aim  at,  but  fail  to  do, —  it  suggested  God,  not  in  itself,  but  as  the  object  of 
its  gaze.  As  we  turned  from  this  spot,  we  felt  that  we  had  seen  the  Agra 
of  Egypt,  the  spot  where  her  most  magnificent  mausoleums  had  been 
erected  to  her  dead  rulers  in  the  far-off  ages. 

BOULAK  MUSEUM. 

We  could  not  leave  Cairo  without  visiting  the  place  where,  better  than 
any  other,  the  ancient  art  and  history  of  Egypt  can  be  studied.  The 
building  occupied  by  these  Egyptian  antiquities  was  once  the  palace  of  the 
khedive,  and  stands  between  Cairo  and  the  Pyramids.  The  palace  and 
grounds  are  upon  a  magnificent  scale.  Walks,  fountains,  trees,  shrubs, 
flowers,  summer-houses,  and  grottoes  are  without,  and  elegant  architecture 
and  material  within;  but  relics  of  the  past  are  everywhere. 

A  number  of  rooms  are  devoted  to  sarcophagi  and  statues.  Those 
wooden  statues  of  Ra-em-Ka  and  his  wife  are  said  to  be  the  oldest  in  the 


EGYPT  AND    THE   WAY  FROM  INDIA. 


161 


world.  Chafra  sits  in  his  royal  chair, all  wrought  in  veined  diorite,  so  hard 
that  it  will  turn  the  edge  of  steel.  Here  is  the  stone  bust  of  Merenptah, 
the  Pharaoh  of  the  Exodus,  and  a  statue  of  Rameses,  his  father.  The 
sarcophagus  of  Chufu-anch,  supposed  to  have  been  the  builder  employed 
on  the  great  Pyramid,  is  among  the  rest.  There  are  large  quantities  of 
ancient  jewels,  precious  ornaments,  and  scarabs,  all  kept  in  glass  cases. 

But  nothing  here  interested  us  so 
much  as  the  chambers  of  the  royal 
mummies  and  their  appurtenances. 
There  are  about  forty  coffins,  some 
of  them  dating  farther  back  than  the 
time  of  Moses.  Among  them  are 
those  of  Thothmes  II  and  Thothmes 
III  of  the  i yth  dynasty;  Rameses  II 
the  oppressor  of  the  Israelites  ;  his 
father,  Seti  I ;  and  others ;  some  of 
them  women,  with  nothing  about 
them  faded,  not  even  the  wreaths  of 
lotus  and  acacia,  placed  there  by  the 
hands  of  friends  thousands  of  years 
ago.  Form  and  feature  are  well  pre- 
served, and  perhaps  color,  some  be- 
ing much  darker  than  others.  One 
has  open  eyes,  and  many  have  hair 
which  seems  to  have  grown  since 
death. 

In   this    chain   of    musty  royalty 

there  is,  however,  one  missing  link.  Where  is  Merenptah,  the  Pharaoh 
of  the  Exodus?  Will  his  mummy  ever  be  found?  or  must  we  wait  until 
the  sea  gives  up  its  dead.  Perhaps  we  passed  over  his  watery  tomb  a  little 
below  Suez,  where  he  met  the  stern  justice  of  "Him  who  divided  the 
Red  Sea  into  parts  ;  and  made  Israel  to  pass  through  the  midst  of  it ; 
but  overthrew^Pharoah  and  his  host  in  the  Red  Sea." 

Rameses  II,  the  Pharaoh  of  the  oppression,  has  a  face  expressive  of 
character.      He  was  wise  ;  he  was  jealous  of  Israel.      He  said:   "  Come,  let 
11 


162 


fN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


R AMESES   II. 


us  deal  wisely  with  them."  "Set  us 
over  them  taskmasters;"  "kill  the 
new-born  sons;"  "oppress  them." 
He  was  wise,  but  his  was  unsancti- 
ried  wisdom,  and  God  set  it  aside. 
Behold,  here  is  all  that  remains  of  his 
mortal  dignity!  In  a  room  adjoining 
are  his  wigs,  the  preserved  gazelle, 
chicken,  and  fruits,  with  water-pots 
and  drinking-cups,  entombed  with  his 
body  to  supply  his  needs  upon  the 
journey  after  death.  But  here  he  is 
in  mummy  rags  and  on  public  exhibi- 
tion, grinned  at  by  sightseers  from 
every  land  for  a  small  admission  fee.  How  different  his  history  from 
that  of  Moses,  the  exiled  waif  of  the  wicker  basket !  How  different  their 
influence  upon  the  world  !  How  different  their  future  !  Here  is  a  fit  illus- 
tration of  the  end  of  all  merely  human  greatness.  As  I  turned  away,  I 
could  only  say  :  — 

"  I  'd  rather  be  the  least  of  those 

Who  are  the  Lord's  alone, 
Than  wear  a  royal  diadem, 
And  sit  upon  a  throne." 

This  museum  excels  all  others  in  Egypt,  from  the  fact  that  the  things 
here  are  known  to  be  genuine,  since  they  have  come  from  actual  researches 
Carried  on  under  the  direction  of  M.  Mariette  and  Herr  Brugsch,  near 
'.ncient  Thebes.  In  1881,  an  Arab  was  paid  twenty-five  hundred  dollars 
"o  disclose  the  secret  passage  which  he  had  accidentally  found,  and  which 
led  to  the  subterranean  chamber  of  the  royal  mummies. 

MISSION  WORK  IN  EGYPT. 

Christian  missions  for  all  Egypt  are  carried  on  by  one  church  only  ; 
namely,  the  United  Presbyterians  of  America,  with  the  exception  of  a  very 
little  attempted  by  the  C.  M.  S.  of  England.  We  attended  one  of  the 
public  meetings  of  this  mission,  and  visited  the  home  in  Cairo.  We  were 


EGYPT  AND    THE  WAY  FROM  IXDIA.  163 

most  kindly  received  ;  and  although  most  of  the  missionaries  were  away 
at  one  of  their  convocations,  those  at  home  gladly  informed  us  about  their 
work.  The  report  for  1889  showed  that  this  mission  was  established 
thirty-five  years  before.  In  that  time  twenty-nine  congregations  have  been 
organized,  besides  sixty-seven  mission  stations  and  sixteen  other  places 
containing  the  nucleus  of  a  church,  or  a  school, —  in  all,  one  hundred  and 
twelve  centers  of  Christian  light.  The  average  attendance  at  ninety-six 
centers  has  been  five  thousand  six  hundred  and  fifty-four  at  morning 
services.  At  the  end  of  the  year  1889,  there  were  two  thousand  nine  hun- 
dred and  seventy-one  members  in  full  communion,  ministered  to  by  twelve 
Egyptian  pastors,  twenty-two  licentiates  and  other  evangelists,  fourteen 
theological  students,  and  thirty-three  special  zenana  workers.  It  possessed 
thirty-nine  church  buildings,  and  contributed  for  all  church  purposes  dur- 
ing the  year  1889  more  than  six  thousand  dollars.  In  that  year  four 
hundred  and  sixty-four  were  added  to  the  membership  on  profession 
of  faith. 

An  Egyptian  presbytery,  which  contains  forty-one  Egyptian  members 
and  fourteen  missionaries,  was  organized  April  16,  1860  ;  it  conducts  its 
deliberations,  and  keeps  its  records  in  the  Arabic  language.  The  work  in- 
cluded ninety-eight  Sunday-schools,  with  four  thousand  four  hundred  and 
twenty-seven  pupils  ;  and  one  hundred  day  schools  having  six  thousand 
three  hundred  and  four  pupils.  The  work  has  been  chiefly  with  the  Copts, 
but  more  recently  the  number  of  both  converts  and  children  in  the  schools 
from  the  Mohammedans  has  very  much  increased  ;  this  is  a  significant  fact. 

The  common  people  of  Egypt,  who  are  the  class  reached  by  this  mis- 
sion, are  very  poor ;  and  what  poverty  means  in  Egypt  we  of  America  are 
hardly  able  to  understand.  Scanty  apparel,  a  hut  for  a  home,  a  handful 
of  parched  corn  or  of  fruit  for  a  dinner  must  satisfy  their  physical  demands  ; 
and  yet  in  1881  there  was  contributed  for  the  support  of  schools  and 
churches  among  them  by  twelve  hundred  church  members,  a  sum  of  money 
averaging  over  seventeen  dollars  apiece.  This  alone  is  an  evidence  that 
the  mission  is  doing  the  right  kind  of  work. 

But  we  need  to  pray  much  for  this  land  and  its  people,  that  God  will 
multiply  the  laborers  and  the  power  of  his  gospel  again  and  again  among 
them.  Mohammedanism  paralyzes  every  people  that  it  touches.  Egypt 


164  IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

is  indeed  under  the  curse  of  darkness,  and  those  of  her  people  who  come 
into  contact  with  civilization,  and  yet  do  not  become  Christianized,  are 
thereby  made  sharper  and  shrewder  in  sin.  May  the  day  speedily  come 
when  God  shall  bring  the  Egyptian,  with  the  Jew,  out  of  darkness  into 
his  marvelous  light. 

ALEXANDRIA. 

From  Ismailia  to  Cairo  it  was  ninety-seven  miles  by  train ;  we  traveled 
from  Cairo  to  Alexandria  —  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles  — 
in  the  same  manner.  All  the  way  we  passed  through  the  level  and  most 
fertile  country  of  the  Nile  delta,  which  lies  between  and  about  her  two 
mouths.  The  one  toward  the  east  is  called  the  Damietta;  and  that 
toward  the  west,  which  we  followed  more  closely,  the  Rosetta.  The  latter 
finds  the  sea  near  Alexandria.  We  had  not  intended  to  stop  in  Alexan- 
dria, but  the  ship  upon  which  we  expected  to  sail  departed  before  our 
arrival,  so  we  had  nothing  to  do  but  wait  two  days  for  the  sailing  of 
another. 

Alexandria  presents  the  same  variety  of  people  and  customs  that  we 
find  in  Cairo.  We  see  English  and  French,  with  now  and  then  an  Ameri- 
can; Turks,  with  fez,  or  top-heavy  pugree,  sitting  on  their  legs  in  groups 
about  a  social  narghile  at  which  they  take  turns;  Arabs,  with  hand 
lifted  against  everybody;  Syrian  Jews,  with  long  love-locks;  Nubians, 
black  and  bold ;  now  and  then  a  woman,  with  wrapped  head,  and  a  cover- 
ing crossing  the  face  below  the  eyes  and  reaching  to  the  waist,  made  of 
cord  and  frequently  ornamented  with  bangles;  she  is  usually  upon  some 
errand,  probably  carrying  a  burden  upon  her  head. 

The  natives  are  frequently  blind,  at  least  in  one  eye,  ophthalmia  being 
very  common  among  them  ;  to  behold  the  lids  of  many  that  you  meet, 
serrated  and  full  of  mucus,  is  bad  enough ;  but  when  the  flies  so  busy  upon 
these  lids  dislodge  themselves,  and  strike  your  own  —  well,  you  can  imagine 
the  sensation  it  gives  one.  I  think  that  the  atmosphere  and  dust  of  Egypt 
are  bad  for  the  eyes  ;  for  every  night  after  a  day  of  sightseeing  there,  my 
lids  were  very  tender. 

The  main  street  of  Alexandria  is  fairly  broad  ;  and  on  either  side  are 
lofty  buildings,  which  help  to  shut  out  the  sun.  Without  doubt  the  nar- 


EGYPT  AND    THE   WAY  FROM  INDIA, 


165 


row  streets  of  the  Orient  are  intended  to  perform  this  same  kind  office  ; 
Beautiful  overhanging  windows  and  balconies  of  lattice  and  arabesque  work 
are  attractive  features  in  all  these  towns. 

The  city  of  Alexandria  was  founded  by  Alexander  the  Great  332  B.  c. 
The  little  town  of  Rhacotis  was  at  that  time  on  the  mainland.  Alexander 
saw  that  the  situation  presented  splendid  advantages  for  a  great  Eastern 
city  ;  here  the  immense  produce  of  Egypt  could  be  stored  and  from  this 
point  easily  shipped.  It  soon  became 
the  most  important  commercial  city 
in  the  world,  the  great  emporium  of 
trade  between  Europe  and  the  East; 
and  for  magnificence  it  was  regarded 
as  the  first  city  in  the  world  after 
Rome. 

For  a  long  time  it  was  the  capital 
of  Lower  Egypt,  and  was  the  home 
of  Cleopatra,  the  beautiful  queen, 
whose  death  here  ended  protracted 
civil  and  domestic  contentions  which 
had  involved  Julius  Caesar,  Mark 
Antony,  Octavianus  Caesar,  and 
stirred  all  Rome.  Her  death  also 
ended  the  Ptolemaic  dynasty  in 
Egypt.  A  portion  of  the  city  was 
set  apart  for  the  Jews,  and  they  be- 
came very  numerous ;  for  them  the  Septuagint  translation  was  made, 
under  the  first  or  second  Ptolemy.  Saint  Mark  first  "preached  the  gos- 
pel in  Egypt,  and  founded  the  first  church  in  Alexandria."  Tradition 
declares  that  he  was  martyred  here. 

Here  also  was  the  magnificent  white  marble  lighthouse  said  to  have 
been  four  hundred  feet  high,  which  was  counted  one  of  the  seven  wonders 
of  the  world.  Here  too  was  the  famous  library  founded  by  Ptolemy  Lagi, 
who  was  a  munificent  patron  of  learning.  This  was  much  enlarged  by  his 
successor.  Men  of  learning  gathered  here  until  Alexandria  rivaled  Athens 
as  a  seat  of  culture.  The  ancient  city  was  on  the  mainland  ;  the  modern 


BEDOUIN. 


1(56 


IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


one  is  partly  on  what  was  the  island  of  Pharos  —  now  a  peninsula  —  but 
largely  on  the  isthmus,  by  which  it  is  connected  with  the  mainland. 

Upon  the  day  of  our  arrival  we  visited  three  objects  of  interest.  The 
first  was  Pompey's  Pillar,  a  celebrated  shaft  which  stands  upon  an  eleva- 
tion of  ground  at  the  edge  of  the  city.  It  is  composed  of  five  pieces  of 
granite,  the  main  shaft  a  monolith  and  beautifully  polished,  the  whole  ris- 
ing to  a  height  of  ninety-eight  feet  and  nine  inches.  It  is  in  the  Cor- 
inthian style,  and  constitutes  a  very  imposing  monument.  There  is  no 
real  proof,  however,  that  the  pillar  had  any  connection  with  the  general 
for  whom  it  is  named,  and  some  are  very  confident  that  it  had  not. 


SARCOPHAGUS  OF  CLEOPATRA. 

We  then  took  a  drive  along  the  Mahmudiyeh  Canal,  which  connects 
the  two  branches  of  the  Nile.  Beyond  the  canal  to  the  south,  is  the  blue 
Mareotis,  while  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  street  which  follows  the 
canal  are  beautiful  villas  and  mansions,  embowered  among  palms  and 
Egyptian  flora  of  every  kind.  These  are  the  homes  of  nabobs,  and  they 
present  a  scene  of  luxury  and  exquisite  beauty  which  we  have  seldom  seen 
rivaled.  Only  a  few  corners  are  turned  before  we  come  to  less  pretentious 
quarters,  and  get  views  of  broad  pastures,  where  the  green  and  tawny  strug- 
gle for  supremacy. 

Out  upon  a  sandy  hill  at  Ramleh  stands  an  unpretentious  little  build- 


EGYPT  AND    THE  WAY  FROM  INDIA.  167 

ing ;  we  enter  for  we  are  told  that  down  in  its  vault  is  a  sarcophagus 
containing  the  skeleton  of  the  beautiful  Cleopatra.  The  sarcophagus  is 
very  heavy,  chiseled  out  of  ruddy  granite.  The  finely  cut  design  on  the 
side  is  evidently  Roman,  and  might  well  represent  a  bacchanalian  scene, 
did  not  the  central  face,  between  the  festoons  of  fruit  and  foliage,  have 
two  asps  at  the  forehead.  The  skeleton  tells  no  tales  ;  and  although  every- 
thing about  this  affair  indicates  royalty,  we  could  not  help  being  incredu- 
lous. The  quantity  of  tapers,  tear-vials,  and  drinking-cups  gathered  out 
of  this  tomb  was  sufficient  to  supply  a  curio-bazaar;  but  they  are  not  for 
sale,  so  long  as  they  remain  an  attraction  to  sightseers. 

On  Lord's  day  we  attended  English  service  at  Saint  Mark's  church. 
There  was  a  fair  audience  of  English  people.  The  rector,  a  man  of  per- 
haps fifty  years,  gave  -us  an  excellent  sermon  on  Christ's  substitutional 
and  redemptive  work,  in  which  he  showed  not  only  the  effect  of  that  work 
for  us,  but  also  that  of  practical  Christianity  in  ourselves.  It  helped  me, 
and  must  have  done  good  to  all  Christians  present. 

In  Alexandria,  as  in  Cairo,  we  stopped  at  a  hotel  which  has  been  fitted 
up,  from  one  of  the  many  palaces  of  the  khedive.  It  had  been  magnifi- 
cently arranged  for  his  highness,  and  then  abandoned.  Insect-powder  was 
still  in  order  ;  but  the  table  was  most  excellent.  In  leaving  Alexandria, 
we  did  not  get  through  with  Egypt,  for  we  were  to  stop  at  Port  Said  both 
in  going  to,  and  returning  from,  Palestine  ;  but  we  could  not  help  form- 
ing our  estimate,  and  expressing  it  thus  :  Egypt  is  synonymous  with  back- 
shish  ;  her  people  are  sharp  and  dangerous  ;  evidently  they  are  far,  very 
far,  from  God.  May  the  gospel  once  preached  here  by  Saint  Mark  yet 
find  a  place  in  their  hearts  and  minds. 

THE  MEDITERRANEAN  AND  PORT  SAID. 

We  sailed  on  Monday  afternoon,  February  16,  making  our  way  through 
a  dingy  custom-house  with  a  crowd,  paying  two  piasters  on  every  package 
small  or  great,  and  reaching  our  ship  by  a  lighter.  The  way  out  is  past 
the  Pharos,  a  very  different  lighthouse,  and  standing  upon  a  different  spot 
from  the  old  one,  but  yet  a  magnificent  structure,  sending  a  light,  it  is  said, 
forty-one  miles  out  to  sea.  Near  it  is  the  summer-house  of  the  khedive, 
which  is  lacking  in  nothing  but  the  grace  of  God  and  its  fruits. 


168 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


Our  ship  was  a  Russian  vessel,  and  commanded  by  Russians,  whose 
language  was  as  incomprehensible  to  us  as  English  was  to  them.  The 
ship's  name  is  spelled  "  T-c-h-i-h-a-t-c-h-o-f-f  ;  "  after  a  while  I  learned  to 
pronounce  it,  also  that  of  the  captain,  which  is  spelled  R-e-n-i-e-r-i.  There 
were  only  eight  or  ten  passengers  in  the  first  cabin,  some  of  whom  got 
off  at  Port  Said.  One  of  these  was  apparently  a  Russian;  another  an 

Italian,  who  could  speak  hardly  any 
English ;  another  was  a  large  priest, 
wearing  a  heavy  gabardine  and  a  small 
skullcap.  He  was  very  quiet  except 
when  asleep  or  at  meals.  At  meals  he 
would  take  a  great  pinch  of  snuff  be- 
tween every  draught  of  wine,  and  then 
blow  his  nose  with  the  sound  of  a  dis- 
tant fog-horn.  About  a  hundred  deck 
and  steerage  passengers,  pilgrims  from 
Russia  to  Jerusalem,  were  in  the  fore- 
part of  the  ship;  while  just  in  front  of 
the  hurricane  deck  and  below  it,  were 
camped  some  Syrian  women,  who  we 
have  reason  to  believe  were  vile  char- 
acters, and  had  much  to  do  with  the 
subsequent  wreck  of  our  ship. 

The  "blue  Mediterranean  "  did  not 
seem  any  bluer  than  any  other  sea 
that  afternoon,  as  in  the  deepening 
twilight  we  walked  the  deck  until  the 
stars  came  out,  and  thought  of  the  old  Roman  galleys  and  Syrian  trans- 
ports that  had  gone  in  and  out  of  this  port ;  of  the  Grecian  slaves  brought 
hither,  and  the  loads  of  grain  taken  in  exchange  ;  of  that  terrible  fight 
of  the  first  day  of  August  1^98,  in  Aboukir  Bay,  when  Lord  Nelson  so 
completely  demolished  the  French  fleet;  and  more  than  all,  of  the  fact 
that  Paul  and  Barnabas  and  Mark  had  crossed  these  waters  as  they  went 
and  came  on  their  missionary  tours. 


EGYPTIAN  SLAVE. 


EGYPT  AND    THE    WAY  FROM  INDIA.  169 

A  little  after  noon  on  the  following  day  we  made  Port  Said,  expecting 
to  sail  for  Jaffa  that  evening,  but  the  captain  got  news  that  it  was  rough 
there,  and  concluded  to  wait  until  the  next  day,  for  landing  at  Jaffa  is  im- 
possible when  the  sea  is  heavy.  We  soon  completed  our  errands  on  shore, 
which  consisted  in  getting  our  passports  viseed,  and  purchasing  a  few 
curios,  in  the  midst  of  a  stinging  sand-storm.  We  really  desired  less  of 
Egypt  and  more  of  Palestine,  but  put  our  delay  down  in  the  list  of  the  "all 
things,"  and  remembered  a  certain  resolution  that  we  had  made  on  the 
first  of  the  preceding  October. 

A  kind  of  bund,  where  the  consulates  are,  a  few  hotels  ;  an  English 
church  ;  some  mosques  with  tapering  minaretes,  upon  which  at  stated 
times  the  muezzins  come  out  to  call  in  musical  tones  the  hour  of  prayer; 
a  post-office  ;  a  kind  of  custom-house  ;  ah  agency  of  "  Thomas  Cook  and 
Son  ;  "  multitudes  of  curio-shops,  where  one  need  never  expect  to  pay  half 
the  price  asked ;  venders  of  photographs  too  lewd  to  be  looked  upon  ;  a 
motley  rabble  of  every  people  under  the  sun ;  great  ships  passing  by,  after 
an  hour's  stay,  on  their  way  between  Europe,  Australia,  and  Japan  —  this 
is  Port  Said.  The  reach  of  sand  upon  which  it  stands  is  only  a  few  feet 
above  the  Mediterranean.  Sometimes  the  rough  waves  look  as  though 
they  intended  to  flood  the  town  ;  but  the  wide  beach  and  shallow  sea  say, 
"Thus  far  and  no  farther,"  before  the  projecting  walls  of  the  break-water 
are  touched.  The  light-house  is  very  imposing,  being  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  feet  high. 


CHAPTER   XV. 


JAFFA. 


PALESTINE. 


EBRUARY  18,  at  about  noon,  we  started 
for  Jaffa.  The  sea  was  heavy,  and  there 
were  occasional  squalls;  but  between 
them  we  had  a  blue  sky,  and  in  the 
evening,  stars.  Just  before  sunset,  a  beautiful  rainbow  rested  upon 
the  sea,  overarching  our  ship.  One  end  seemed  not  far  away,  but  I 
did  not  care  to  go  to  the  bottom  of  it  for  "the  bag  of  gold."  Did  God 
intend  that  to  be  to  me  "the  bow  of  promise"?  As  my  mind  has 
returned  to  that  night  and  the  following  day,  I  have  thought  that  perhaps 
he  did. 

Nearly  every  one  in  the  first  cabin  but  myself  was  seasick  ;  but  by  the 
blessing  of  God  I  was  kept  from  that  throughout  my  entire  trip.  I  really 
enjoyed  this  evening,  but  I  was  impressed  to  do  a  thing  which  I  never  did 
before  or  afterward  ;  namely,  to  take  my  blanket  and  pillow  and  lie  down 
in  the  saloon,  with  my  clothing  on,  even  to  overcoat  and  cap.  Mr.  Sand 
ford  did  the  same,  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  room  ;  only  four  other? 
were  in  the  first  saloon, —  the  Italian  ;  Miss  Max  Unger,  an  Austrian 
woman  living  in  Jerusalem  ;  Miss  Mary  Graybiel,  missionary  returning 
from  India  to  America ;  and  Miss  James,  a  missionary  from  England  to 
[170] 


PALESTINE.  171 

some  station  in  Palestine.  Miss  Max  Unger  sat  in  the  forward  part  of  the 
saloon  all  night,  seasick  and  much  alarmed.  Once  or  twice,  before  midnight, 
the  captain  came  in,  walked  back  and  forth  across  the  saloon  ;  then  sat 
down  to  some  drink,  and  shuffled  a  pack  of  cards.  Many  times  the  anx- 
ious watcher  at  the  other  end  of  the  saloon  moaned,  and  said,  "  I  am  afraid 
something  will  happen  ;  "  but  the  captain  would  reply,  "  O,  go  to  bed  ;  I 
have  commanded  vessels  for  thirty-six  years,  and  never  lost  one  yet."  Be- 
tween these  scenes  we  slept,  until  a  terrible  stroke  made  our  iron  ship 
stagger  and  tremble  from  stem  to  stern.  At  the  same  time  I  got  to  my  feet, 
exclaiming,  "What  is  it?"  Again  we  struck,  and  again  and  again  we 
heard  the  grinding  teeth  of  rocks  upon  the  hull  of  the  vessel.  "  O,  the 
rocks  of  Jaffa  !  "  exclaimed  Miss  Max  Unger,  wringing  her  hands. 

I  looked  out  of  the  starboard  window,  and  saw  the  outlines  of  the 
buildings  of  Jaffa,  the  glare  of  the  light-house,  and  here  and  there  the  lights 
of  the  town.  It  was  about  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  dark;  but  the 
stars  were  out.  We  were  indeed  upon  the  rocks  of  Jaffa,  helpless,  and  we 
did  not  know  as  any.human  help  could  reach  us.  Two  rockets  were  thrown 
up  from  the  ship,  but  we  received  no  response  except  to  see  lights  move 
upon  the  shore.  For  more  than  an  hour  the  ship  beat  against  the  rocks 
with  increasing  violence,  tossing  from  side  to  side  ;  the  sea  also  increased 
in  fury,  dashing  across  the  deck  from  the  port  side  through  the  windows 
of  the  saloon,  flooding  it  with  water  and  broken  glass,  putting  out  the 
lights,  and  leaving  the  passengers  braced  behind  the  table,  and  clinging  to 
the-  window  frames  on  the  starboard  side.  About  this  time  the  engines 
stopped,  the  vessel  sagged  down  into  a  permanent  position,  and  we  were 
ordered  out  upon  the  qua1  ;er  deck  which  stood  higher  than  the  saloon 
deck.  It  was  then  daybreiK  and  about  half  past  five  o'clock. 

Who  can  describe  that  hour  and  a  half,  which  seemed  much  longer, 
spent  in  the  dark,  sea-flooded  saloon  ?  The  mighty  sweep  of  the  sea, 
the  putting  on  of  life-preserver,  the  darkness  —  all  were  very  trying.  The 
pitiful  cries,  "O  Lord,  save  my  soul, "  from  the  unsaved,  assured  us  that 
this  was  indeed  a  late  time  to  prepare  to  meet  God.  Mr.  Sandford  and 
myself  bowed  our  heads  together  in  prayer,  gave  to  each  other  a  message 
to  carry  to  those  at  home,  in  case  either  should  be  drowned  and  the  other 
saved  ;  and  then  all  agitation  ceased,  my  heart  rested  in  quiet  confidence  ; 


172  IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 

it  was  well  with  my  soul,  and  I  could  trust  all  with  God,  even  my  child  to 
whom  I  had  been  both  father  and  mother,  and  who  might  never  under- 
stand. Another  promise  was  proved  :  "  In  quietness  and  confidence  shall 
be  your  strength."  It  was  true  that  morning  upon  the  rocks  of  Jaffa,  with 
the  sea  breaking  over  us,  and  no  assurance  of  ever  getting  ashore. 

The  two  missionaries  came  up  from  below;  women  separated  from  all 
earthly  friends  ;  but  they  had  bravely  answered  the  injunction  of  their 
Lord,  "Go  ye  and  teach."  Now  they  were  in  the  hands  of  Him  who 
said,  "Lo  I  am  with  you  alway. "  For  a  moment  Miss  Graybiel  bowed 
her  head  upon  her  folded  arms  ;  and  then,  with  as  much  serenity  as  though 
she  sat  under  a  mango-tree  in  India,  teaching  a  group  of  Hindu  children, 
she  said,  "The  Lord  on  high  is  mightier  than  the  noise  of  many  waters  ; 
yea,  than  the  mighty  waves  of  the  sea."  It  was  like  a  benediction  from 
heaven  ;  and  one  after  another  we  repeated  passages  from  the  word  of  God: 
"He  holdeth  the  waters  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand  ;"  "He  maketh  the 
storm  a  calm,  so  that  the  waters  thereof  are  still  ;  "  "Thou  wilt  keep  him 
in  perfect  peace  whose  mind  is  stayed  on  thee,  because  he  trusteth  in  thee. " 
Some  people  say  that  there  are  modern  poets  who  have  written  better 
psalms  than  David  did,  but  I  do  nqt  believe  it  ;  when  we  want  verity  we 
find  it  nowhere  as  in  the  "  thus  saith  the  Lord"  of  the  Book. 

One  of  the  passengers,  who  was  in  great  agony,  replied  to  a  question 
concerning  her  Christian  faith,  "O  sir,  I  have  been  a  nominal  Christian 
for  years,  but  I  am  not  prepared  to  die  !  "  What  does  it  amount  to  to  be 
simply  a  nominal  Christian  ?  Such  are  not  prepared  to  die,  and  they  are 
not  prepared  to  live  ;  yet  it  is  to  be  feared  that  there  are  multitudes 
of  Christians  who  are  only  nominally  such.  The  real  Christian  says,  with 
Paul:  "I  am  crucified  with  Christ:  nevertheless  I  live;  yet  not  I,  but 
Christ  liveth  in  me  ;  and  the  life  which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh  I  live  by  the 
faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me,  and  gave  himself  for  me.'' 

We  had  difficulty  in  reaching  the  quarter  deck,  for  the  stairs  had  been 
swept  away,  the  sea  was  dashing  over  us,  and  we  had  to  climb  up  by  cables 
and  over  a  large  boat.  This  was  exceedingly  difficult  for  the  ladies,  but 
they  never  shrank  from  attempting  the  hardest  things.  The  second-class 
passengers  had  a  severer  time  than  we.  Many  of  them  climbed  into  the 
rigging ;  others  clung  to  whatever  was  permanent.  Some  of  them  had 


PALESTINE. 

babes  and  small  children  in  their  arms.  They  were  often  .covered  with  the 
water,  and  their  position  was  the  more  dangerous  because  the  port  side  of 
the  ship  above  the  deck  in  front  was  stove  into  splinters;  and  to  yield  to 
one  of  those  violent  waves  meant  the  sea  for  them.  It  is  reported  that 
over  twenty  were  swept  off  and  drowned,  but  I  cannot  speak  with  certainty 
on  this  point.  After  going  to  the  quarter  deck,  we  went  into  the  chart 
room,  but  were  soon  compelled  to  go  out,  as  the  sea  broke  it  up.  All  the 
while  we  were  looking  anxiously  to  the  land  for  help. 


"TCHIHATCHOFF"    ON   THE   RoCKS. 

At  daybreak  the  ship  threw  up  another  rocket ;  the  people  gathered 
upon  the  shore  and  nocked  upon  the  hillsides  and  housetops.  Two  large 
boats  came  around  the  point  of  rocks,  and  approached  us  from  the  sea ; 
but  the  one  nearest  to  us  was  overturned,  and  her  eight  men  all  thrown  into 
the  waves.  It  was  a  sad  sight ;  these  men  in  trying  to  rescue  us  had  risked 
their  own  lives,  and  it  looked  as  though  they  would  all  be  drowned,  but 
they  swam  bravely.  One  seized  an  oar,  and  struck  out  for  us,  missed  a 
rope  and  a  life-preserver  thrown  to  him,  went  across  our  bow,  was  carried 
up  to  the  rocks,  and  grasped  by  the  men  who  stood  there.  Another  got 
upon  the  capsized  boat,  and  after  being  thrown  about  for  some  time, 
reached  the  rocks.  The  other  six  were  picked  up  by  the  second  boat, 
which  then  turned  back  for  its  own  safety.  All  hope  of  help  from  this 


174  L\r   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 

direction  was  thus  taken  away.  Could  any  help  reach  us  ?  The  officers 
of  the  ship  were  as  helpless  as  the  passengers  ;  they  did  absolutely  noth- 
ing to  originate  any  rescue.  It  was  evident  that  if  any  help  came,  it'must 
come  from  the  shore;  but  what  could  it  be?  Jaffa  has  no  life-saving  ap- 
paratus. 

There  were  probably  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  yards  of  rock  jutting 
out  from  the  shore,  over  which  men  could  wade  in  water  loin  deep  ;  but 
where  this  rocky  tableland  ended,  the  sea  tossed,  lashing  itself  and  our 
fated  ship,  which  was  perhaps  sixty-five  or  seventy  yards  from  these  rocks, 
upon  others  which  we  could  not  see  but  were  fully  conscious  of.  We  saw 
men  dragging  a  large  boat  over  the  rocks ;  eagerly  we  watched  them  as 
they  fought  the  sea,  struggling  with  all  their  might  to  push  it  on,  while  the 
waves  seemed  determined  to  sweep  it  back.  They  were  a  long  time, —  and 
it  seemed  still  longer, — but  at  length,  as  a  huge  wave  came,  they  pushed  the 
boat  upon  its  crest ;  two  strong  men  sprung  into  it  and  cut  the  waterwith  their 
heavy  oars  to  keep  it  from  being  capsized.  How  the  frail  craft  trembled  ! 
How  angrily  Neptune,  with  all  the  powers  of  the  mighty  deep,  wrestled 
with  the  brawn  and  brain  of  those  two  heroic  men  !  But  all  this  passed  in 
a  brief  time,  and  the  boat  shot  out  toward  us.  What  a  thrill  passed 
through  me!  Involuntarily  I  cried,  "Bravo."  Surely  they  were  coming 
to  the  rescue  ! 

The  boat  reached  us,  and  took  one  of  the  officers,  Miss  Max  Unger, 
Miss  James,  and  six  children  of  the  second-class.  They  reached  the  rocks 
safely,  and  were  drawn  up  by  strong  men  ;  but  the  boat  was  immediately 
overturned  and  smashed  against  the  rocks.  Then  there  was  a  long  delay  ; 
the  people  on  shore  were  in  a  quandary,  those  on  the  ship  in  consterna- 
tion. The  sea  was  becoming  heavier,  often  washing  over  us  ;  we  were 
wet  and  chilled,  and  our  vessel  was  in  danger  of  breaking  up  at  any  time. 
"What  is  the  cause  of  this  waiting?"  "Is  there  not  another  boat  in 
Jaffa?  "  So  we  queried. 

We  afterward  learned  the  cause  of  the  delay.  Among  the  boatmen  of 
"Thomas  Cook  and  Son "  were  four  brothers,  one  of  these,  Suleiman  Girby, 
being  the  chief  boatman.  They  belong  to  a  family  renowned  for  courage 
and  skill  on  the  water;  their  father,  an  old  man,  formerly  having  charge 
of  the  work  now  conducted  by  Suleiman.  These  boatmen  had  rivals  in 


PALESTINE.  175 

another  boat's  crew,  who,  in  professing  to  hold  Suleiman's  boat  which 
brought  the  first  of  the  passengers  to  the  rocks,  allowed  it  to  capsize  and 
be  broken.  He  saw  this,  and  turning  to  the  governor  of  Jaffa,  who  was 
upon  the  ground,  and  who,  together  with  the  chief  of  police,  did  all  in  his 
power  to  encourage  the  men,  and  plan  for  the  rescue,  said,  "  I  cannot 
depend  upon  these  men." 

The  governor  replied,  "What  shall  we  do?  these  people  must  be  saved." 
Suleiman  said,  "Let  my  brothers  out  of  prison,  and  we  will  show  you 
what  we  can  do."  The  governor  said,  "  I  will  let  them  out  to  help  to-day, 
but  after  this  work  is  over,  they  must  go  back  again."  "  No,  "said  the  plead- 
ing brother,  "free  them  from  prison,  and  we  will  do  our  best.''  So  the 
governor  let  them  out,  and  hurrying  to  the  place,  they  did  eminent 
service.  These  brothers  had  been  imprisoned  for  three  months  on  the 
accusation  that  they  had  smuggled  firearms  ashore;  but  as  there  was  no 
proof  of  this,  jealousy  seemed  to  be  at  the  bottom  of  it. 

In  the  mean  time  Suleiman  was  not  idle.  After  the  long  delay,  we  saw 
a  strong  man  take  off  all  his  clothing  and  come  out  to  the  verge  of  the 
rocks,  looking  about  as  though  he  intended  to  dive  into  the  sea.  Would  he 
doit?  Could  he  live  if  he  did  ?  Yes;  there  he  goes  head  foremost !  Three 
times  he  goes'  down  out  of  sight,  but  comes  up,  and  strikes  out  for  us. 
What  a  magnificent  physique  he  has  !  How  he  walks  through  the  water 
as  though  he  were  master  of  it !  He  gets  aboard  of  our  ship,  orders  one 
of  her  large  boats  to  be  lowered,  then  he  has  a  cable  attached  to  a  yard- 
arm  of  the  foremast,  swims  to  the  rocks  with  the  cable,  gets  over  the  rocks 
with  difficulty,  and  puts  the  cable  into  the  hands  of  a  long  line  of  men  who 
are  to  hold  it.  Then  he  swims  back  to  the  ship  to  get  the  passengers  into 
the  boat  and  to  the  rocks.  By  this  time  his  brothers  have  reached  the 
place,  and  one  of  them  swims  out  to  help  him  manage  the  boat.  That 
boat  was  filled  with  second-class  passengers,  all  men.  They  pulled  the 
boat  to  the  rocks  by  the  cable,  but  came  up  to  an  unfortunate  place  and 
could  not  get  very  close  to  the  table  rock,  so  that  every  one  had  to  throw 
himself  into  the  sea,  and  get  to  the  rocks  using  the  cable,  hand  over  hand. 
Some  of  them  were  completely  submerged  in  the  water,  but  all  were  res- 
cued. A  great  wave  threw  the  boat  far  in  upon  the  table  rock,  and  there 
was  another  long  delay  until  we  questioned  whether  or  not  they  intended 


176 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


'TCHIHATCHOFF,"   LATER. 


to  do  anything  further  ;  but  presently  we  saw  a  young  man  jump  into  the 
prow  of  the  boat,  gather  the  men  about  him,  and  urge  them  forward 
through  another  battle  with  the  sea,  until  the  boat  was  launched  again  ;  it 

was  one  of  the  Girby 
brothers. 

The  first-class  pas- 
sengers were  permitted 
to  go  in  the  first  boat, 
but  we  had  waited  for 
others.  It  seemed 
now  that  our  time,  and 
God's  time  for  us  to 
go,  had  come.  We  let 
ourselves  down  upon 
the  slippery,  torn  deck, 
climbed  over  the  side, 
and  finding  our  way 
to  the  bottom  of  the 
cable  ladder,  dropped  into  the  boat  that  bounded  and  receded  with  the 
heaving  sea, —  Miss  Graybiel,  Mr.  Sandford,  the  Italian  gentleman,  several 
women  and  children  of  the  second-class,  and  myself.  •  Eagerly  we  grasped 
the  cable  and  pulled  ;  like  a  feather  in  the  tempest  our  boat  plunged 
through  the  sea,  but  we  reached  the  rocks  in  safety  ;  and  while  some  strong 
hands  held  the  boat  firmly,  others  lifted  us  out  and  carried  us  to  the  shore. 
I  have  heard  that  it  was  very  difficult  to  land  at  Jaffa  and  often  impos- 
sible, but  this  was  an  exceptional  landing,  I  am  sure  ;  for  I  was  told  that  a 
steamship  had  not  been  wrecked  there  before  for  over  twenty  years.  I  had 
heard  how  fierce  the  Arabs  of  Jaffa  were,  and  how  one  would  imagine  that 
he  might  be  torn  in  pieces  by  them  when  they  come  to  the  ship  to  land 
passengers,  but  I  have  not  felt  more  restful  arms  or  looked  into  more  piti- 
ful eyes  than  those  of  the  Arabs  who  carried  me  to  the  shore,  since  I  was 
cradled  in  the  embrace  of  my  mother.  My  strength,  which  had  held  out 
as  long  as  it  was  needed,  resigned  in  favor  of  that  of  others,  even  strangers. 
Upon  the  shore,  kind-hearted  people  crowded  around  us  with  warm 
blankets,  puffs,  and  cordials  ;  and  close  to  my  lips  was  pressed  a  glass  of 


PALESTINE. 


177 


wine  or  brandy.  If  I  ever  needed  such  a  cordial,  it  was  then ;  but  I  remem- 
bered my  resolution,  and,  believing  that  God  would  take  care  of  me,  I 
pushed  it  aside.  I  did  not  want  to  talk  to  the  kind-hearted  dragoman  who 
took  hold  of  my  arm  and  constantly  questioned  me  ;  I  did  not  want  to 
walk  up  the  sandy  hill  and  through  the  muddy  square  of  the  town  ;  my 
limbs  were  numb  with  cold; 
and  I  wanted  to  sit  down 
and  go  to  sleep ;  but  the 
dragoman  was  faithful,  urged 
on,  as  he  afterward  said,  by 
looking  upon  a  pallid  face, 
glassy  eyes,  and  blue  lips.  A 
few  hours  ir  a  warm  bed, 
with  a  good  rubbing,  how- 
ever, brought  back  the  cir- 
culation, and  I  was  quite 
well  again  with  the  exception 
of  the  nervous  shock. 

The  boat  which  brought 
us  returned  for  others,  but 
was  capsized  and  broken; 
several  of  the  unfortunate 
ones  being  swept  into  the 
sea,  and  rescued  only  by  the 
utmost  endeavors  of  the 
brave  boatmen.  The  increas- 
ing violence  of  the  sea  made 
it  impracticable  to  use  boats 
any  longer,  and  the  rest  of 
the  passengers  and  the  crew 


I — 


were  brought  ashore  one  by 
one,  in  a  rope  chair  drawn  over 
the  cable,  the  last  one  being  rescued  at  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
There  were  said  to  be  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  people  on  board,  in- 
cluding the  officers  and  crew.  The  next  day  the  sea  was  calmer,  and  the 


178  IN  THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 

greater  part  of  the  baggage  was  recovered,  but  in  a  most  wretched  condi- 
tion. There  were  our  clothing,  books,  and  papers,  curios  gathered  in 
Japan,  China,  India,  and  Egypt,  many  of  them  ruined  ;  but  when  we  were 
inclined  to  sigh,  we  were  reminded  that  life  preserved  was  better  than  all, 
and  that  it  was  our  part  to  return  thanks,  which  we  did  not  fail  to  do  most 
heartily. 

The  people  in  Jaffa  of  every  name  were  ready  to  do  all  in  their  power 
for  us.  The  governor,  the  chief  of  police  with  four  officers,  and  an  officer 
with  soldiers,  all  planned  with  the  boatmen,  encouraged  them  and  main- 
tained order.  The  Greek,  Italian,  Russian,  English,  and  American  consuls 
were  present;  also  people  from  the  hospitals,  the  physicians,  French  nuns, 
ministers  of  the  Armenian  and  Greek  convents  with  cordials;  Jews,  Mo- 
hammedans, and  Christians, —  all  anxious  to  do  what  they  could  for  the 
sufferers.  The  governor  and  chief  of  police  deserve  much  praise  for  their 
noble  work;  so,  also,  do  Bernhard  Heilpern,  Cook's  agent,  and  Shukri 
Moussa,  his  messenger,  but  the  men  who  won  the  laurels  of  that  day  were 
the  boatmen,  and  especially  Suleiman  Girby,  the  chief  boatman.  Five 
times  he  swam  between  the  rocks  and  the  ship,  being  in  the  water  much 
of  the  time  from  half  past  five  in  the  morning  to  three  in  the  afternoon. 
He  directed  the  fastening  of  the  cable  to  the  yard-arm,  swam  ashore  with 
it  in  his  hands,  directed  the  management  of  affairs  upon  the  ship  and  also 
upon  the  rocks  ;  being  ably  sustained  by  his  three  brothers  and  six  other 
boatmen,  notable  among  them  a  very  large  Nubian,  black  as  night.  We 
owe  our  rescue  to  this  man  ;  there  was  nobody  else  who  could  do  what  he 
did  ;  and  had  he  failed,  got  discouraged,  or  met  with  an  accident,  we  must 
have  been  left  to  our  fate. 

Suleiman  is  twenty-six  years  old,  having  a  magnificent  physique  and 
great  endurance.  His  unselfish  and  wonderful  work  opened  his  heart 
toward  us  as  well  as  ours  toward  him.  The  next  day  I  grasped  his  hand, 
and  offered  him  a  token  of  my  appreciation,  which  he  declined,  saying; 
"I  cannot  take  your  money;  you  have  lost  everything.  I  would  rather 
loan  you  money,  if  you  need  it.  People  on  the  ship  offered  me  money  to 
save  them  yesterday,  but  I  told  them  I  would  do  my  best  without  their 
money.  Let  me  be  your  friend  ;  friendship  is  better  than  gold." 

What  words  these  were  to  come  from  a  Syrian  boatman  !     Do  they  not 


PALESTIXE.  179 

suggest  the  character  that  made  the  man  so  brave?  No  wonder  that  his 
old  father's  eyes  sparkled  as  we  congratulated  him  upon  having  such  a 
son  ;  but  his  only  reply  was,  as  he  laid  his  hand  reverently  upon  his  heart, 
"Thank  God,  your  lives  were  saved!" 

We  felt  that  the  brave  service  of  these  boatmen  should  be  rewarded  ; 
consequently  we  laid  the  facts  before  Mr.  Elaine,  Secretary  of  State  ;  and 
the  consul  at  Jerusalem  and  some  others  did  the  same.  In  response,  our 
government  ordered  suitable  testimonials  for  the  rescuing  party ;  a  gold 
medal  and  a  gold  watch  and  chain  were  sent  to  Suleiman,  silver  medals  to 
his  brothers  and  the  Nubian,  and  twenty-five  dollars  in  money  to  each  of 
the  seven  assistants.  The  emperor  of  Russia  conferred  silver  medals  upon 
Suleiman  and  three  of  his  assistants  ;  the  steamship  company  sent  to  him 
the  Anchor  Medal. 

Not  long  after  this  a  French  man-of-war  went  ashore  in  a  heavy  gale, 
and  again  Suleiman  was  the  hero,  swimming  to  the  ship  and  back  in  the 
night,  —  the  feat  occupying  two  hours, —  and  bringing  the  captain's  wife 
safe  to  land  upon  his  shoulders,  the  sea  being  so  rough  that  she  dared  not 
trust  the  lighter.  For  this  act  of  heroism  the  French  government  sent  him 
a  gold  medal,  and  the  sultan  sent  to  him  and  six  assistants  a  silver  medal 
each.  The  English  government  conferred  a  silver  medal,  and  Cook's 
Company  a  gold  medal,  upon  the  hero. 

The  story  of  our  wreck  and  rescue  preceded  us  to  Jerusalem  ;  and  after 
we  replied  to  a  request  to  relate  the  facts  at  tiffin  one  day,  the  company 
present  offered  ten  pounds,  with  a  hearty  cheer,  and  sent  it  to  Suleiman  to 
replace  his  broken  boat.  So  has  honor  been  bestowed  where  honor  was 
due.  I  am  grateful  to  our  own  government  for  its  recognition  of  manly 
courage.  Our  rescuer  is  very  dear  to  me  ;  and  were  it  my  privilege  to  visit 
the  sacred  land  again,  nothing  there  would  be  more  grateful  to  my  eyes 
than  the  sight  of  Suleiman  Girby. 

There  were  different  reports  as  to  the  cause  of  the  wreck.  One  was 
that  the  machinery  gave  out,  and  the  vessel  became  unmanageable  ;  another 
was  that  she  struck  an  unknown  rock,  miles  out,  and  was  hurried  to  the 
rocks  of  the  nearest  shore  before  she  sunk.  Both  stories  are  absurd.  The 
second-class  passengers  said  that  the  officers  on  duty  at  the  time  were  in- 
toxicated and  engaged  in  the  vilest  revelry,  and  scamped  their  duty.  I 


180 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


believe  this  to  be  true.  Lust  and  liquor  were  the  cause  of  our  disaster; 
and  as  usual  with  these  things,  the  innocent  suffered  with  the  guilty.  The 
investigation  was  carried  on  before  the  Russian  consul,  but  none  of  the 
passengers  were  troubled  with  questions. 

In  this  connection  I  cannot  forget  to  speak  of  what  a  blessing  it  is  to 
have  a  Saviour,  one  who  has  not  only  risked  but  given  his  life  for  us,  and 
who  saves  unto  the  uttermost  all  who  come  to  God  by  him.  Out  of  him 
our  position  is  unsafe  ;  we  are  driven  upon  the  sea  or  against  the  biting 
rocks  ;  we  cry  out,  "  Who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death?  " 
to  which  the  word  itself  replies,  "Neither  is  there  salvation  in  any  other; 
for  there  is  none  other  name  under  heaven  given  among  men,  whereby  we 

must  be  saved."  All  honor 
and  praise  to  Him  who  hath 
redeemed  us,  and  put  into 
our  hearts  songs  of  rejoicing. 

JAFFA. 

Yafeh,  meaning  beautiful, 
commonly  called  by  the 
people  of  Syria,  Jaffa,  and 
better  known  to  us  as  Joppa, 
is  renowned  in  history  both 
secular  and  ecclesiastical.  In 
Solomon's  time  Hiram,  king 
of  Tyre,  sent  cedar  and  pine 
wood  out  of  Lebanon  for  the 
temple  by  way  of  Joppa. 
Materials  for  rebuilding  the 
temple  under  Zerubbabel 
were  brought  from  Lebanon 
by  Joppa.  When  Jonah  fled 
from  God,  he  shipped  here 
for  Tarsish.  Here  Dorcas  was  raised  to  life,  and  Peter  had  the  vision 
which  prepared  him  to  preach  to  the  Gentiles:  Here  Pompey,  Herod 
the  Great,  and  Archelaus  made  conquests;  and  from  this  point  the 


ARAB  STREET,  JAFFA. 


PALESTINE. 


181 


Crusaders  set  their  faces  directly  toward  the  Holy  City.  Here,  in  1797, 
the  French  landed,  and  Napoleon  won  ,an  unenviable  fame  by  shooting  four 
thousand  surrendered  Albanians  and  by  poisoning  five  hundred  sick  soldiers. 

From  the  sea,  Jaffa 
is  beautiful ;  but  when 
one  passes  through  the 
dirty  streets,  narrow 
and  crooked,  filled 
with  a  motley  crowd 
of  camels  and  donkeys 
and  their  drivers, 
groups  of  turbaned 
Turks,  Syrians,  Arabs, 
and  Jewish  pilgrims, 
it  puts  on  a  different 
aspect.  However,  we 
made  ourselves  at 
home  amidst  all. 

The   Tabitha  Mis- 

j        .1  HOUSE  OK  ••  SIMON  THE  TANNER." 

sion,  under  the  super- 
intendence of  Miss  WTalker- Arnott,  greatly  interested  us.  How  could  we 
feel  otherwise  when  they  found  a  place  for  our  half-ruined  baggage, 
assisted  us  in  renovating  it,  and  gave  to  us  a  Christian  welcome  !  The 
school  is  for  girls  ;  and  we  noticed  many  bright  faces  among  those  then 
in  attendance,  and  heard  of  many  others  who  had  gone  out  from  the 
school  with  a  love  for  Christ,  and  well  fitted  for  life's  duties. 

Miss  Arnott  began  her  work  here  in  1863,  and  has  had  excellent  suc- 
cess. In  1890,  the  number  of  pupils  reached  one  hundred  and  fifty.  The 
school  is  the  result  of  Miss  Arnott's  individual  exertions,  and  is  supported 
by  personal  offerings.  From  the  top  of  the  school  building  we  get  a  good 
view  of  Joppa,  including  the  site  of  the  house  where  Dorcas  was  raised 
to  life  by  Peter,  and  also  of  the  cave  where  her  body  is  said  to  have  been 
finally  laid  to  rest. 

We  could  not  leave  Jaffa  without  visiting  the  spot  where  "the  house 
of  Simon  the  tanner  "  stood.  We  were  led  through  a  squalid  street,  a 


182  AV    THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 

part  of  which  is  made  damp  and  dingy  by  the  shadows  of  a  stone  archway, 
down  to  a  stone  building,  at  whose  doorway  a  blind  old  man  was  sitting. 
As  we  came  nearer,  he  arose,  saying,  "Yes,  this  is  the  house  of  Simon, 
the  tanner,"  and  then  held  out  his  bony  hand,  saying,  "Backshish." 
We  had  heard  the  word  before,  and  knew  its  meaning  ;  so  giving  the  old 
man  a  few  piasters,  we  passed  on.  A  fig-tree  rests  against  the  wall,  and 
here  is  an  old  well  and  a  cistern,  and  a  flight  of  scarred  and  broken  stone 
steps  by  which  we  ascended  to  the  housetop  and  gazed  in  silence  upon  the 
scene  about  us.  Behind  us  rose  the  flat-roofed  houses,  block  on  block, 
toward  the  sky  ;  below  us  they  descended  in  the  same  manner  to  the  edge 
of  the  sea,  here  and  there  broken  by  a  narrow  street  through  which  camels 
and  donkeys  were  carrying  their  burdens. 

To  right  and  left  beyond  the  town,  tawny  sand  stretched  away  to  the 
sky ;  before  us  was  a  pile  of  rocks,  with  a  ship  breaking  up  under  the  lash 
of  incoming  waves ;  and  farther  out,  the  sea,  unbroken  until  it  kissed  the 
clouds.  This  seemed  truly  a  spot  where  one  could  sleep  and  dream,  and 
be  taught  by  whispering  angels.  It  was  here  that  Peter  learned  a  great 
lesson,  and  was  prepared  for  a  great  work.  Thank  God  for  it !  and  that 
while  the  Jews  have  turned  away  from  Christ,  the  Gentiles  have  had  the 
gospel  preached  to  them,  and  many  have  believed. 

The  outskirts  of  Jaffa  toward  the  country  are  as  attractive  as  the  sea- 
ward side,  especially  among  the  gardens,  of  which  there  are  many,  con- 
taining pomegranates,  citrons,  almonds,  apricots,  peaches,  lemons,  and 
oranges.  The  last  two  named  fruits  were  in  their  prime  at  the  time  of  our 
visit;  and  when  I  had  enjoyed  a  feast  of  Jaffa  oranges,  it  seemed  as  though 
I  had  never  eaten  oranges  before.  There  are  three  hundred  orchards  of 
this  luscious  fruit  close  by. 

Rough  weather  and  the  wreck  had  delayed  us  nearly  a  week,  and  taken 
some  of  the  precious  time  that  we  had  allotted  to  the  land  which  we  longed 
to  see  most  of  all.  But  God  never  allows  anything  to  happen  by  chance ; 
he  knows  why  so  much  of  our  time  was  better  spent  in  getting  to  Palestine 
than  in  visiting  there.  How  much,  after  all,  we  had  to  be  thankful  for  ! 
and  when  we  had  hung  the  last  remnant  of  our  soaked  luggage  out  to  dry, 
parted  almost  tearfully  with  our  ruined  camera,  and  collected  what  we 
should  need  for  our  journey  through  Palestine,  we  went  to  bed  that  night 
saying  with  abundant  joy,  "Jerusalem  to-morrow  !  " 


PALESTINE. 


183 


ON  THE  WAY. 

We  started  for  Jerusalem  at  about  noon  on  Saturday,  going  by  Ramleh 
direct.  One  may  take  horse,  donkey,  camel,  or  carriage  for  the  journey. 
We  chose  the  latter,  for  times  enough  would  the  others  be  our  means 
of  locomotion  from  necessity.  The  engine  that  whistled  every  morning, 
and  ran  out  over  the  completed  mile  of  track  in  process  of  construction, 
toward  Jerusalem,  seemed  altogether  out  of  place ;  but  we  could  endure  a 
carriage.  The  distance  is  put  down  at  forty  miles,  and  ten  hours  should 
be  sufficient  for  the 
journey.  Our  way 
led  out  through  groves 
of  oranges  and  lem- 
ons. From  some  trees 
the  fruit  had  been 
gathered,  but  for  the 
most  part  they  were 
heavily  laden.  The 
groves  are  hedged  in 
with  prickly  pear 
cacti,  the  trunk  of 
which  becomes  like 
that  of  a  large  tree. 

Leaving  the  groves 

and  the  fountain,  with  the  sycamores  which  indicate  the  spot  where 
Dorcas  was  raised  from  the  dead,  we  entered  the  plain  of  Sharon,  over 
which  we  journeyed  to  Ramleh,  which  has  a  population  of  about  four 
thousand,  nearly  a  third  of  whom  are  Christians.  Traditionally  this 
town  corresponds  with  the  Arimathaea  of  the  New  Testament,  the  home 
of  Joseph,  who  put  the  body  of  Jesus  into  his  new  tomb.  Here  is  a 
Latin  convent.  As  we  halted  for  an  hour  to  rest  our  beasts,  we  hastened 
out  to  the  great  tower  a  short  distance  from  the  town.  This  structure  is 
square,  and  quite  beautiful  in  design,  although  it  has  begun  to  crumble. 
Some  think  it,  together  with  the  surrounding  ruined  buildings,  was 
once  a  mosque  ;  others,  that  it  was  a  khan  ;  and  still  others,  that  it  was  a 
Christian  church  built  by  the  Crusaders.  The  architecture  is  Saracenic. 


RAMLEH 


184  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

Near  by  is  the  ruin  of  what  was  doubtless  once  a  chapel.  Some  holes  are 
also  found  in  the  ground  which  lead  down  over  piles  of  debris  into  im- 
mense, vaulted  rooms,  the  ceilings  of  which  are  supported  by  stone  pillars. 
Evidently  this  was  once  an  underground  chapel  used  for  secluded  worship. 

We  ascend  to  the  top  of  the  tower,  by  a  spiral  staircase  composed  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty  well-worn  stone  steps  ;  once  at  the  top,  we  are 
paid  for  our  exertion.  The  air,  laden  with  the  fragrance  of  almond  blos- 
soms and  springing  grass,  is  fresh  and  sweet,  like  that  of  New  England  in 
the  middle  of  May.  Song-birds  flit  by,  welcoming  the  spring.  In  differ- 
ent directions  men  are  plowing  with  their  one-handled  plows,  and  occa- 
sionally I  hear  the  dreamy  song  of  a  farmer.  The  entire  plain  of  Sharon, 
extending  from  Jaffa  to  Caesarea,  and  from  the  Judean  hills  to  the  sea, 
stretches  out  before  us.  It  has  been  celebrated  for  its  fertility,  and  looks  as 
if  it  still  bore  out  its  reputation.  It  is  a  sea  of  green  grass  and  springing 
grain,  spangled  now  and  then  with  white  and  gold,  but  most  of  all  with 
scarlet,  the  flowers  sometimes  growing  in  such  masses  as  to  look  like  pools 
of  blood.  This  is  the  flower  from  which  our  Lord  was  named  "the  Rose 
of  Sharon." 

Toward  the  north  the  minarets  of  Lydda  rise  above  one  of  the  many 
olive  groves  which  are  all  about  us.  It  was  here  that  Peter  raised  Eneas 
from  his  sick-bed.  Far  away,  Ashdod,  where  the  god  Dagon  fell,  and 
where  Philip  was  found  after  the  eunuch's  conversion,  is  seen;  also  the 
ruins  of  Askelon,  and  of  Gath,  the  frequent  refuge  of  David,  with  Gaza, 
down  by  the  sea.  Men  and  boys  are  in  the  field  plowing,  sometimes  with 
a  camel,  and  again  with  a  bullock  and  a  donkey.  Being  "unevenly  yoked 
together  "  is  in  harmony  with  what  we  frequently  see  in  Palestine. 

But  we  hasten  back  to  our  carriage,  and  continue  our  journey.  Passing 
two  small  villages,  we  come  to  the  valley  of  Ajalon,  where  the  sun  and 
moon  obeyed  Joshua  as  he  gave  the  command  :  "  Sun,  stand  thou  still 
upon  Gibeon,  and  thou,  moon,  in  the  valley  of  Ajalon."  My  companion 
was  under  the  impression  that  it  was  here  that  David  slew  Goliath,  and  he 
climbed  over  the  rocks  and  around  the  hills  to  see  the  exact  spot  where  the 
duel  occurred.  He  came  back  flushed  with  enthusiasm,  declaring  that  he 
could  almost  see  the  transaction.  It  afterward  turned  out  that  tradition 
locates  the  place  of  that  scene  much  nearer  Jerusalem. 


PALESTINE. 


185 


Beyond  Ajalon,  to  the  northeast,  and  on  the  left,  are  the  two  Beth-Ho- 
rons  ;  and  on  the  right  is  Gezer,  the  city  given  to  the  Kohathite  Levites, 
invaded  by  David,  captured  and  burned  by  Pharaoh,  and  given  by  him  to 
his  daughter,  Solomon's  wife.  Further  on  we  come  to  Latrun,  the  tradi- 
tional native  place  of  Dimas,  the  penitent  thief  ;  then  to  Kirjath-jearim, 
where  the  ark  of  the  Lord  rested  for  twenty  years.  Who  could  pass  this 
spot  without  being  thrilled  with  some  sense  of  what  the  glory  of  Israel  was 
when  "David  gathered  all  Israel  together,  from  Shihor  of  Egypt  even 
unto  the  entering  of 
Hemath  to  bring  the 
ark  of  God  to  Kirjath- 
jearim  !  " 

We  are  now  trav- 
ersing the  mountains, 
having  entered  them 
at  Babel- W  ad  y, 
where  we  changed  our 
beasts  and  drivers, 
and  got  a  lunch  of 
boiled  eggs  and  very 
tough,  hard  bread. 
We  reach  Kolonieh 
after  dark,  coming 
over  a  zigzag  road. 
This  little  place, 
nestled  among  the 
hills,  has  orchards,  groves,  and  gardens,  and  is  thought  by  some  to  be  the 
Emmaus  of  Christ's  time  ;  but  it  is  not  "three-score  furlongs  from  Jeru- 
salem." The  valley  here  is  thought  by  some  to  be  the  place  where  the 
conflict  occurred  between  David  and  Goliath  ;  and  many  gather  pebbles 
from  the  brook  in  memory  of  it,  —  or  perhaps  to  slay  some  modern  Goliath 
with, —  but  a  place  in  the  valley  of  Elah,  to  the  southeast  of  this,  cor- 
responds better  with  the  Scriptural  narrative. 

Our  road  now  becomes   very  mountainous ;    and   whichever  way  the 
sacred  city  is  approached,  we  find  that  it  is  literally   "going  up  to  Jerusa 


186 


IX   THE   PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


lem."  We  walk  a  good  deal,  both  to  keep  warm  and  to  get  a  view  of  the 
country  as  the  bright  moon  reveals  the  mountain  tops  and  ravines  with 
great  distinctness.  Sometimes  fifteen  and  even  eighteen  mountain  sum- 
mits, silvered  by  the  soft  light,  are  in  view  at  once ;  often  from  the  side 
of  our  road  ravines  slip  away  into  deep  gorges  hundreds  of  feet  below  us, 
darkened  by  the  distance,  piles  of  rock,  and  olive  groves.  Against  the 
sky  to  the  left  rises  the  solitary  and  mosque-crowned  mountain  peak  of 
Neby-Samwil,  the  traditional  burial-place  of  the  prophet  Samuel  and 

the  ancient  Mizpah. 
From  the  minaret  of 
this  mosque  can  be 
seen  the  Holy  Land, 
from  the  Mediterra- 
nean on  the  west  to 
the  mountains  beyond 
Jordan  on  the  east ; 
from  Carmel,  stretch- 
ing its  arm  over  the 
sea  on  the  north, 
nearly  to  Hebron  on 
the  south.  From  this 
summit  thousands  of 
pilgrims  have  looked 
upon  Jerusalem  for 
the  first  time. 

At  twelve  minutes 

before  ten,  we  reach  the  Jaffa  Gate.  All  that  we  can  see  is  a  bit  of  the 
city  outside  the  walls,  and  that  indistinctly.  This  was  our  good  fortune, 
for  Jerusalem  cannot  truly  be  seen  until  viewed  as  we  looked  upon  it  the 
next  day,  from  the  side  of  Olivet.  Nevertheless,  a  peculiar  thrill  passed 
through  us  when  we  realized  that  we  were  looking  upon  the  spot  to  which 
our  thoughts  had  turned  with  longing  from  childhood, —  the  spot  full  of 
sacred  history  ;  the  spot  where  our  Lord  had  experienced  so  much  during 
his  public  work.  Tasso  says  of  the  emotions  of  the  Crusaders  when  they 
saw  Jerusalem  for  the  first  time  :  — 


JAFFA  GATE. 


PALESTINE. 

"With  holy  zeal  their  swelling  breasts  abound, 

And  their  winged  footsteps  scarcely  print  the  ground. 

Behold,  Jerusalem  salutes  their  eyes!" 

And  our  emotions  were  much  the  same  as  in  silence  we  approached  th^ 
gate,  passed  through,  went  to  the  hotel  and  to  our  room  to  be  alone  with 
God.  To  be  there  was  enough  ;  to  talk  about  it  was  to  detract  from  the 
reality.  It  should  indeed  be  to  us  "the  city  of  peace." 

JERUSALEM. 

Morning  in  Jerusalem,  and  Lord's  day  !  This  was  the  waking  thought 
that  thrilled  me.  What  influences  had  gone  out  from  this  place  !  How 
many  hearts  daily  turn  toward  Zion,  the  city  of  God,  with  her  Calvary, 
where  hung  our  bleeding,  dying  Lord  ;  her  tomb  made  radiant  with  im- 
mortality because  he  lay  there  ;  her  mountain  top  where  Abraham  piled 
the  faggots  and  placed  his  son,  and  where  the  temple  stood  ;  her  Olivet, 
with  its  garden  of  tears  and  agony,  its  sacred  spot  where  the  Saviour 
turned  with  tearful  face  and  cried,  "O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  how  oft 
would  I  have  gathered  thee  !  "  its  spot  more  sacred  still  from  which  he 
ascended  in  shining  clouds  !  But  why  had  we  come  ?  To  worship  in  the 
"church  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher?"  To  be  baptized  in  Jordan?  O  no,  we 
had  come,  that  much  which  had  entered  into  our  religious  life  through 
the  avenues  of  literature  might  be  made  more  real  by  personal  contact. 

Jerusalem  is  a  city  renowned  for  historical  associations.  She  lifted  her 
towers  before  Thebes,  Athens,  or  Rome  had  an  existence.  Her  wealth 
and  power  made  her  the  "joy  of  the  whole  earth  "  in  Solomon's  time. 
Her  temple,  which  was  the  first  ever  erected  to  the  true  God,  was  un- 
excelled. We  had  come  here  to  get  nearer  the  heart  of  our  Lord  by  get- 
ting nearer  to  the  scenes  of  his  ministry  ;  and  although  a  Turkish  mosque 
stands  upon  the  spot  where  the  temple  was ;  although  Mount  Zion  is 
turned  into  a  burial  ground,  and  the  valley  of  the  beautiful  Kidron  filled 
with  loose  stones  and  dry  bones  ;  although  poverty  and  squalor  abound,  and 
the  Jerusalem  of  Christ  is  largely  subterranean,  yet  we  know  that  there  are 
paths  about  here  which  felt  the  pressure  of  his  feet,  and  scenery  which  his 
eyes  beheld.  Yes,  this  is  the  city  of  the  great  King,  and  in  the  fullness  of 
time  he  will  stand  here  again. 


188 


TN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


In  the  forenoon  we  attended  divine  service  at  the  mission,  conducted 
by  Rev.  A.  Ben-Oliel,  who  is  a  missionary  to  the  Hebrews,  and  who  speaks 
their  language  fluently.  He  gave  a  very  instructive  discourse  from  John 

11 : 55-57,  and  our 
interest  was  deepened 
from  the  fact  that  we 
were  at  the  place 
where  the  events 
referred  to  had  oc- 
curred. In  the  even- 
ing I  spoke  to  the 
people  at  the  same 
place,  and  assisted 
in  the  administration 
of  the  Lord's  supper, 
this  being  the  first 
communion  service 
since  this  new  mis- 
sion had  been  started. 
In  the  afternoon  hav- 
ing a  desire  to  be 
near  to  my  Lord  in  a  quiet  way,  I  walked  out  to  the  tomb  near  the 
old  Damascus  Gate,  believed  by  some  to  be  the  veritable  "new  tomb"  of 
Joseph  of  Arimathea  into  which  our  Lord  was  placed.  It  is  evidently 
a  family  tomb,  the  groove  at  the  doorway  into  which  the  stone  was 
rolled,  worn  by  time  and  use,  can  still  be  seen  ;  and  on  one  corner  a 
stone  slab,  moldy  and  marred,  forming  the  compartment  for  a  body,  is 
in  its  place. 

What  thoughts  swept  through  the  mind  as  we  opened  the  Book  and 
read  John  20  :  1-19  !  Is  this  the  place  to  which  Peter  and  the  beloved  dis- 
ciple hastened  ?  Was  it  before  this  very  doorway  that  Mary  wept,  and  in- 
quired for  the  body  of  her  Redeemer?  Did  the  napkin  and  the  linen 
clothes  lie  here  ?  Had  this  little  tomb  held  my  crucified  Lord  ?  Did  he 
go  forth  from  this  seal-broken  doorway  a  victor  over  sin  and  death  and  the 
grave  forever?  Content  in  believing  this  to  be  true  I  went  forth,  not  only 
with  a  deep  consciousness  of  what  it  meant  to  be  there,  but  also  with  such 


THE  "NEW  TOMB.: 


PALESTINE. 


189 


a  realization  of  what  it  signified  to  enter  into  that  victory  as  I  never  had 
before. 

Only  a  few  steps  away  is  the  hill  thought  by  General  Gordon  to  be  the 
veritable  Golgotha.  The  side  next  to  the  city  wall  has  been  cut  off,  and 
the  ragged  rocks  and  receding  caves,  with  the  general  contour  of  the  hill, 
all  give  it  the  perfect  resemblance  to  a  human  skull.  From  its  summit  a 
bit  of  the  city  within  the  walls  can  be  seen,  but  we  found  enough  in  this 
spot  to  interest  us  ;  and  sitting  down  upon  one  of  the  piles  of  gravestones 
so  plenty  here,  we  read  the  nineteenth  chapter  of  John.  Again  we  saw 
Jesus  coming  with  the  cross,  again  lifted  up  between  the  thieves,  again 
mocked  and  jeered  at  by  the  mob,  again  crying,  "Father,  forgive  them," 
and  in  the  midst  of  the  throng  dying  for  the  sins  of  the  world.  Could  I 
ever  again  be  heedless  of  the  sufferings  of  my  Lord  ?  My  whole  being 
answered,  "No." 

Beyond  the  winding  road,  and  just  across  the  Kidron,  the  sides  of 
Olivet  begin  to  rise. 
The  bed  of  the  brook- 
let wanders  through 
a  deep  ravine,  from 
which  the  hill  and 
northeast  corner  of 
the  city  wall  rise  ab- 
ruptly. It  was  spring- 
time, and  heavy  rains 
had  fallen,  but  there 
was  no  running  water 
in  the  brook.  Remem- 
bering that  Jesus  must 
often  have  passed  this 
way,  we  stopped  for 
a  moment's  revery. 
Sad  mistake!  The 
crowd  which  gathered  about  us  brought  the  assurance  that  "  the  beggars 
have  come  to  town,"  aye,  and  the  lepers,  sufficient  in  number  and  impor- 
tunity to  exhaust  both  pocket-book  and  patience.  Poor  creatures  !  Their 
only  cry  was,  "  Backshish." 


MOUNT  OF  OLIVES,  GETHSEMANE  IN  FOREGROUND. 


190  IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 

Gethsemane  is  just  beyond,  and  where  we  began  to  ascend  the  mount 
of  Olives.  The  space  inclosed  is  about  one  third  of  an  acre,  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  wall  covered  with  stucco.  It  looks  small  but  is  doubtless 
a  portion  at  least  of  the  original  garden.  Matthew  and  Mark  speak  of  the 
place:  "Jesus  went  over  the  brook  Kidron  with  his  disciples,  where 
there  was  a  garden  into  which  he  entered."  Eusebius  and  Jerome  speak 
of  the  garden  as  well  known.  Several  large  olive  trees  here  must  be  very 
old,  and  may  have  sprung  from  those  under  which  Jesus  agonized  ;  flowers 
are  growing  about  the  trees,  carefully  cultivated.  A  reservoir  supplies 
water  for  the  garden.  The  place  is  in  charge  of  the  Franciscans  who  point 
out  the  "chapel  of  the  agony,"  the  rocky  place  where  the  disciples  slept, 
and  the  spot  where  Judas  gave  his  betraying  kiss.  A  marble  relief,  repre- 
senting an  angel  ministering  to  Christ  is  very  beautiful,  but  the  whole  is 
surrounded  with  pictures  setting  forth  the  trial  and  crucifixion  scenes  ac- 
cording to  the  Catholic  idea,  which  were  to  me  very  repulsive.  I  was  dis- 
appointed to  find  a  place  with  which  I  had  associated  loneliness  and  soul 
agony,  so  much  fixed  up  for  exhibition  ;  but  every  spot  about  here,  which 
with  any  degree  of  certainty  can  be  identified  with  any  special  act  of  Jesus, 
is  occupied  with  picture  or  shrine  or  chapel. 

Three  pathways  traverse  Mount  Olivet,  and  probably  it  was  the  same  in 
Christ's  time, —  one  a  hard  rocky  way  going  over  the  northern  shoulder, 
another  a  steep  foot-path  going  over  the  summit,  while  a  third  winds  over 
the  southern  side,  leading  round  to  Bethany.  Without  doubt  the  last  is 
the  road  taken  by  Jesus  as  he  came  from  Jericho  to  Jerusalem,  when  the  peo- 
ple threw  before  him  their  palm  branches  and  olive  boughs.  He  was  doubt- 
less going  this  way  when  he  looked  upon  the  city  and  wept  over  it  saying, 
"If  thou  hadst  known,  even  thou,  at  least  in  this  thy  day,  the  things 
which  belong  unto  thy  peace  !  but  now  they  are  hid  from  thine  eyes." 
We  ascended  by  the  northern  path,  and  came  back  over  the  summit  of 
the  mountain  ;  half  way  up  we  turned  and  got  our  first  true  view  of 
Jerusalem. 

In  the  southeast  corner  of  the  city  is  the  Mosque  of  Omar,  standing 
upon  a  raised  platform  where  Solomon's  Temple  once  stood.  Beyond  it  is 
the  church  El  Aksa,  built  by  Justinian.  Northwest  of  the  mosque,  and 
not  far  from  it  are  the  Turkish  barracks,  where  the  castle  of  Antonia  stood  ; 


PALESTINE. 


191 


a  lofty  tower  now  stands  in  the  corner  of  the  barracks.  North  of  the  mosque 
is  the  hill  Bezetha,  with  the  church  of  St.  Anne  upon  it  near  St.  Stephen's 
Gate.  West  of  Bezetha  is  the  hill  of  Akra,  on  whose  eastern  slope  stands 
the  church  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher ;  Mount  Zion  stands  in  the  southwest 
part  of  the  city.  To  the  right  and  near  the  Jaffa  Gate,  is  the  tower  of 
David,  or  Hippicus.  Southeast  of  the  tower  is  the  English  church,  and 
south  of  that  the  Armenian  convent;  east  of  the  convent  is  the  Jewish 
quarter.  In  a  southwest  direction,  on  Mount  Zion  and  beyond  the  wall, 
a  cluster  of  buildings 
with  a  dark  dome 
marks  the  tomb  of 
David.  To  the  left 
and  over  the  Judean 
hills,  may  be  seen  the 
mountains  of  Moab 
and  Gilead,  beyond 
the  Jordan  Valley.  To 
the  south  lies  the  Frank 
Mountain,  and  nearer, 
the  Hill  of  Evil  Coun- 
sel. To  the  west  of 
it  is  the  valley  of 
Rephaim,  near  the 
northwest  corner,  and 
outside  the  walls,  are 
the  Russian  buildings ; 
beyond  them,  on  the  summit  of  a  high  and  conical  hill,  are  clustered 
the  buildings  of  Neby-Samwil  (Mizpah). 

The  northern  ridge  of  Olivet  is  Scopus,  beyond  which  is  a  village  called 
Shafat.  To  the  right  of  it  is  the  ancient  Nob,  and  two  miles  beyond, 
Gibeah,  the  home  of  Saul ;  three  miles  farther  north  is  Ramah,  Samuel's 
birthplace,  and  three  miles  farther  on,  the  ancient  Beeroth.  This  enumer- 
ates a  part  of  the  beautiful  views  from  Olivet,  and  all  except  the  five  last 
named  places  may  be  seen  from  our  half-way  resting-place.  Upon  the  top 
of  the  mountain  is  a  tower  owned  by  the  Russians,  which  commands  a 


HOME  OF  LAZARUS,  BETHANY. 


192 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


very  extensive  view  from  the  mountains  of  Moab  to  the  sea.      Near  it  is  a 
small  village,  very  dirty. 

Upon  the  spot  from  which  it  is  claimed  that  our  Lord  ascended,  stands 
a  large  building  belonging  to  the  Mohammedans.  A  courtyard  connected 

contains  an  octagonal 
chapel,  with  a  foot- 
. print  in  stone  said 
to  be  that  of  Christ. 
Further  east,  the 
Greeks  have  a  chapel 
upon  the  spot  where 
they  claimed  that 
Christ  ascended; 
but  by  comparing 
Acts  i  :  12  with  Luke 
24  :  50,  I  am  led  to 
think  that  the  spot  is 
farther  east  than 
either  of  these.  The 
Greek  Chapel  is  near 
to  Bethphage.  Fur- 
ther east  still,  and 
upon  the  slope  of  the  hill,  is  Bethany.  Low,  dingy  houses ;  crooked, 
narrow,  filthy  streets  ;  poor,  sullen-looking  people  make  the  Bethany  of 
to-day  a  dismal  place.  They  point  out  an  old  ruin  which  they  claim  was 
once  the  house  of  Mary  and  Martha.  They  take  the  traveler  through  an 
opening  in  a  stone  wall,  lead  him  down  a  winding  stairway  into  what  is 
claimed  by  some  to  be  the  tomb  of  Lazarus.  All  this  may  be  true ;  at 
least  it  is  a  blessing  to  be  near  the  place  where  Jesus  came  for  rest,  and 
where  he  so  wonderfully  revealed  the  power  of  God,  in  the  resurrection 
of  his  dead  friend. 

We  must  confess  to  a  feeling  of  disappointment  as  we  wound  about  on 
horseback  through  the  narrow,  filthy  streets  of  Bethany  and  the  hamlet  on 
Olivet  one  day  on  returning  from  Jericho.  These  places  so  dear  to  our 
Lord  would  seem  dearer  to  us  if  they  were  clean.  But  it  occurred  to  me 


TOMB  OF  LAZARUS. 


PALESTINE. 


that  God  permitted  them  to  be  as  they  are,  so  that  people  might  not  wor- 
ship the  places  instead  of  himself;  for  the  same  reason,  doubtless,  there  is 
uncertainty  concerning  the  exact  spot  where  certain  important  events  oc- 
curred. Great  changes  have  been  wrought  in  these  sacred  spots  since 
Christ  walked  here  in  the  flesh,  but  it  was  delightful  to  know  that  he  had 
walked  these  same  ways,  looked  upon  these  same  hills  and  valleys,  and 
that  his  real  life  was  not  marred  or  ended  by  his  enemies  ;  that  while  men 
and  things  have  changed  upon  these  much-contested  grounds,  Jesus  Christ 
is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever. 

Let  us  "walkabout  Zion,  and  go  round  about  her;  tell  the  towers 
thereof."  The  town  covers 
an  area  of  over  two  hundred 
and  nine  acres,  thirty-five  of 
which  are  occupied  by  the 
Haram-esh-Sherif.  This  con- 
tains the  site  of  the  old 
temple,  now  occupied  by  the 
mosque  of  Omar,  the  mosque 
El-Aksa,  and  other  objects 
of  interest.  It  is  inclosed 
by  a  wall  thirty-five  feet  high, 
not  very  substantial;  and 
there  are  thirty-four  towers 
and  eight  gates  in  the  wall. 
The  Jaffa  Gate,  on  the  west, 
leading  to  Jaffa,  Bethlehem, 
and  Hebron  is  most  in  use. 
Both  on  the  outside  and  inside 
there  are  usually  plenty  of 
camels,  donkeys.,  and  dogs  ; 
with  men  and  women  inter- 
spersed, trading  and  gossiping.  On  the  north  side,  looking  toward 
Samaria  and  Damascus,  opens  the  Damascus  Gate,  which  is  much  fre- 
quented ;  between  this  and  the  Jaffa  Gate,  a  gate  called  the  "New  Gate" 
was  opened  in  1889.  St.  Stephen's  Gate  leads  to  Olivet  and  Bethany,  the 

13 


STREET  IN  JERUSALEM. 


194 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


Dung  Gate  to  Siloam  ;  while  on  the  ridge  of  Zion  is  Zion's  Gate.  The  Gate 
of  Herod  is  closed  most  of  the  time  ;  the  Golden  Gate,  sometimes  called 
the  "Gate  Beautiful,"  is  always  closed.  The  Mohammedans  have  a  tradi- 


MOSQUE  OF  O.MAK. 

I 

tion  that  when  the  Gate  Beautiful  is  opened,  they  will  lose  Jerusalem.  It 
is  in  the  east  wall  of  the  temple  area.  At  this  point  Peter  and  John  are 
said  to  have  healed  the  larne  man  ;  this  also  was  the  point  of  entrance  by 
Jesus  on  Palm  Sunday,  and  tradition  further  declares  that  when  Jesus  re- 
turns, he  will  enter  Jerusalem  through  this  gate.  Near  this  are  two  small 
but  richly  ornamented  chambers,  where  the  Moslems  say  the  golden  throne 
of  Solomon  is  hidden. 

There  are  many  winding  ways  and  dark  and  slippery  alleys  ;  but  a  few 
somewhat  pretentious  streets  intersect  one  another  among  the  group  of 
quarternian  hills  separated  by  deep  valleys,  and  crowned  with  domes  and 
minarets.  One  leads  from  the  Jaffa  Gate  to  the  Haram  •  another,  from 
the  Damascus  Gate  to  the  street  of  the  Gate  of  the  Prophet  David,  under 
which  name  it  continues  to  Zion's  Gate.  Christian  street  takes  one  from 


PALESTINE. 


195 


the  street  of  David  to  the  church  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher,  and  the  Via 
Dolorosa,  which  runs  between  St.  Stephen's  Gate  and  the  Latin  convent. 

I  can  speak  but  briefly  of  the  many  places  of  interest  which  attracted 
us.  Our  opportunity  to  see  and  learn  was  an  unusually  good  one,  as  we 
visited  many  places  in  company  with  the  United  States  consul-general 
to  Turkey,  and  Rev.  A.  Ben-Oliel,  who  was  very  familiar  with  all  the 
places  :  conducted  by  a  special  kawasse  of  the  American  consul  at  Jerusa- 
lem. We  were  kindly  received  at  the  mosque  of  Omar,  and  shown  the 
points  of  interest. 

This  beautiful  structure  is  octagonal  in  form,  and  is  five  hundred  and 
thirty-six  feet  in  circumference,  surmounted  by  a  dome  which  is  supported 
by  twelve  columns 
of  antique  marble 
and  porphyry.  The 
outside  is  of  colored 
marble  and  encautisc 
tiling,  while  within, 
the  walls  are  adorned 
with  rich  mosaics, 
gilded  arabesques, 
and  many  quotations 
from  the  Koran. 
Some  of  the  pillars 
are  pointed  out  as 
having  been  in  Solo- 
mon's temple,  which 
is  doubtless  true. 
The  rays  of  sunshine 
never  fail  to  add 
beauty  to  this  interior 
when  the  sun  shines, 
for  there  are  fifty-six 

windows,  some  on  every  side.  The  most  attractive  object  of  all  is  the 
naked  stone  under  the  dome,  surrounded  by  an  iron  fence.  It  is  held  so 
sacred  by  the  Mohammedans  that  they  will  not  allow  a  Christian  to  stand 


INTERIOR  OF  MOSQUE,  WITH  BARE  SUMMIT  OF  MT.  MORIAH. 


19(5 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


upon  it,  but  we  thrust  our  hands  between  the  iron  rods,   and  felt  that  we 
had  touched  a  holy  object.     The  rock  has  been  chiseled  in  places,  indicat- 
ing that  it  has  been  adapted  to  various  purposes,  but  its  general  appear- 
ance is  rugged  and  unhewn. 

On  this  spot  Abraham  offered  Isaac 
as  a  sacrifice  ;  here  the  ark  of  the 
covenant  stood,  and  here  was  the  holy 
of  holies.  How  many  times  God  has 
spoken  in  this  place  !  How  his  glory 
has  emanated  from  this  center,  as 
though  his  throne  stood  here  !  Omar 
is  none  too  beautiful  a  shrine  for  the 
spot  where  God  loved  to  dwell  when 
his  temple  stood  here. 

Underneath  the  mosque  is  a  cave, 
connected  with  which  are  many  tradi- 
tions. In  the  center  of  its  floor  a  slab 
covers  the  "Well  of  Spirits,"  into 
which,  the  Moslems  allege,  all  spirits 
descend,  and  from  which  they  will 
be  lifted  at  last  by  the  hair  on  the  top 
of  their  heads.  This,  if  nothing  else, 
might  well  discourage  some  of  us 
from  accepting  the  Moslem  faith,  as 
there  would  be  nothing  to  lift  us  up  by. 

The  mosque  El-Aksa,  close  by,  comes  in  for  a  share  of  attention.  Its 
seven-arched  porch  leads  into  the  seven  aisles  of  the  Basilica.  Inside,  the 
pillars  are  of  four  different  styles.  Most  of  the  building  is  covered  with 
whitewash,  but  the  pulpit  is  of  itself  a  thing  of  beauty  and  merit,  being 
carved  in  wood,  and  inlaid  with  ivory  and  mother-of-pearl.  Two  pillars 
quite  close  together  stand  near  by  ;  and  every  pilgrim  is  supposed  to  try 
to  squeeze  through  between  them.  Those  who  succeed  are  sure  of  a  place 
in  heaven,  but  it  is  doubtful  about  those  who  fail.  Leaving  the  mosque 
and  our  boots,  we  descend  by  thirty-two  steps  to  a  vaulted  chamber  called 
the  "Cradle  of  Christ;"  here  they  tell  us  that  Christ  was  circumcised, 
and  here  Simeon  dwelt. 


TO.MU  OK  ABSALOM. 


PALESTINE. 


197 


From  here  we  still  go  down,  down,  through  vaulted  avenues  to  Solo- 
mon's stables,  where  it  is  seen  how  the  valleys  were  built  up  for  the  temple 
platform.  We  are  told  that  Solomon  had  forty  thousand  stalls  of  horses 
for  his  chariots.  It  seems  probable  that  they  may  have  been  here.  Men 
are  at  work  here  excavating ;  at  the  north  end  we  find  a  window  in  the 
wall  which  looks  out  over  the  valley  of  the  Kidron,  toward  the  tombs  of 
Saint  James  and  Zechariah,  and  the  pillar  of  David's  rebellious  son 
Absalom,  which  is  filled  with  stones  thrown  in  by  uncharitable  Jews,  who 
hiss  at  his  memory. 

Near  by  is  a  small  mosque  called  the  "throne  of  Solomon."  A  breach 
in  the  wall  gives  us  a  glimpse  of  the  pool  of  Bethesda.  There  is  the  site 
of  the  fortress  of  Antonia,  and  of 
a  structure  called  the  "tribunal  of 
David,"  where  tradition  says  a  chain 
was  suspended  from  heaven ;  and  that 
when  two  disputants  could  not  settle 
their  quarrel,  they  were  placed  beneath 
this  chain,  which  always  swung  toward 
the  one  who  was  in  the  right.  No 
wonder  Robinson  says  that  the  tradi- 
tions of  the  Holy  Land  are  unreliable  ! 

A  visit  to  the  Jews' wailing-place 
served  both  to  satisfy  our  curiosity 
and  touch  our  hearts.  Upon  one  side 
is  a  low  wall ;  upon  the  other  are 
several  courses  of  huge  marble  blocks, 
fifteen  feet  long  and  three  feet  deep, 
with  smaller  blocks  higher  up.  In 
the  intervening  crevices,  which  have 
not  been  stuffed  with  Hebrew  prayers, 
grass  and  swaying  vines  are  growing.  \VAIM.M-PIACE 

Friday  finds  the  Jews,    resident   and 

pilgrim,  collected  here  to  face  the  stones  of  the  original  temple  —  as 
they  believe  —  to  bewail  the  desolation  of  Zion,  and  to  pray  for  her 
restoration.  Many  of  them  read  from  sacred  books,  swaying  back  and 
forth  in  true  Oriental  style. 


LV    THE  PATH    OF  LIGHT. 


On  our  way  to  the  tomb  of  David,  we  passed  the  tower  which  bears  his 
name,  now  used  as  a  Turkish  barracks.  All  the  stones  look  old  and  worn , 
our  dragoman  told  us  that  probably  Christ  beheld  some  of  these  with  his 
own  eyes.  How  the  thought  thrilled  us  !  We  stopped  and  gazed  again  at 
the  huge  pile.  Near  the  tomb  is  an  old  ruin,  with  here  and  there  beautiful 
mosaic  walks,  and  architecture  which  indicates  an  elegant  structure.  It  is 
called  the  "Palace  of  Caiaphas,"-  — the  place  where  our  Lord  was  tried, 

condemned,  and  im- 
prisoned, and  where 
Peter  denied  him. 

But  we  are  at 
Neby  Baud.  There 
is  scarcely  any  doubt 
that  the  tombs  of  the 
kings  were  in  this 
vicinity.  In  i  Kings 
1 1  :  43,  we  read, 
"And  Solomon  slept 
with  his  fathers,  and 
was  buried  in  the  city 
of  David  ;  "  and  in 
the  fourteenth  chap- 
ter and  th  i  rty-fi  rs  t 
verse,  it  says,  "And 
Rehoboam  slept  with 
his  fathers,  and  was  buried  with  his  fathers  in  the  city  of  David." 
Nehemiah  speaks  of  a  place  by  the  pool  which  was  over  against  the 
sepulcher  of  David :  this  tomb  stands  exactly  opposite  lower  Gihon. 
The  apostle  says-  "His  (David's)  sepulcher  is  with  us  unto  this  day." 
Mohammedans  and  Eastern  Christians  regard  this  as  David's  burial-place. 
Entering  a  large  room,  we  ascend  some  stone  steps,  and  look 
through  a  grated  wall  to  the  tomb.  It  appears  to  be  an  immense  sar- 
cophagus, covered  with  richly  embroidered  drapery.  Before  a  doorway  lead- 
ing to  a  cave  beneath  are  silver  candlesticks,  while  a  lamp,  always  kept 
lighted,  hangs  by  a  window  close  by.  They  tell  us  that  in  an  adjoining 


ToMis  OK  DAVID. 


TOWER    OF    DAVID. 


PALESTINE.  J99 

room  Christ  partook  of  the  last  supper  with  his  disciples,  and  that  there 
the  Holy  Ghost  came  upon  the  disciples  at  Pentecost.  Upon  the  walls 
everywhere  are  written  the  prayers  of  pilgrims,  asking  David  to  pray  for 
their  souls.  All  these  things  made  us  feel  that  we  were  upon  consecrated 
ground.  What  a  privilege  to  stand  where  the  bodies  of  David  and  the 
ancient  kings  had  found  their  last  resting-place,  deposited  by  magnificent 
funeral  trains;  where  Christ  instituted  the  memorial  supper;  and  where 
the  Holy  Ghost  inaugurated  the  mighty  work  of  the  present  dispensation  ! 
The  church  of  St.  James,  opposite  Zion's  Gate,  marks  the  spot  where  this 
disciple  was  beheaded. 

SUBTERRANEAN  QUARRIES. 

Near  the  Jaffa  Gate  our  guide  leads  us  to  a  hole  among  the  rocks  just 
large  enough  to  creep  through.  Each  one  is  given  a  long  candle,  and  it  is 
needed  ;  for  with  the  light  of  many  candles,  darkness  shrouds  us  on  all 
sides.  We  are  in  the  quarries  under  the  city.  After  proceeding  a  'little 
way  the  paths  seem  to  branch  out  in  all  directions  ;  cavern  opens  into 
cavern,  aisle  into  aisle  ;  abyss  reaches  to  abyss.  Now  the  vault  rises 
high,  now  we  must  bend  low  to  pass  ;  here  a  huge  pillar  lies  prone,  ready 
for  its  place  in  some  building;  there  is  one,  partially  detached  from  the 
solid  stone.  The  stone  is  a  soft  light  lime-stone,  easily  cut  in  the  quarry, 
but  hardening  when  exposed  to  the  atmosphere.  No  doubt  the  stones  for 
the  temple  were  cut  and  fashioned  here. 

CHURCH  OF  THE  HOLY  SEPULCHER. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  take  the  Via  Dolorosa,  and  note  all  the  points  of 
interest  which  culminate  at  the  church.  "Pilate's  Judgment  Hall,"  or 
rather  its  site,  receives  attention  first ;  next,  the  spot  where  the  Scala  Santa, 
or  holy  steps,  now  in  Rome,  stood  ;  then  the  spot  where  the  cross  was 
bound  upon  Christ's  shoulders  ;  and  in  their  order  the  Ecce  Homo  Arch, 
connected  with  the  judgment  hall ;  the  place  where  the  Saviour  sunk  under 
the  cross;  where  he  said,  "Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep  not  for  me,  but 
weep  for  yourselves,  and  your  children  ;"  where  he  met  his  mother;  and 
where  he  leaned  against  the  wall.  All  these  scenes  are  pointed  out  to  us. 
Upon  this  street  also  are  shown  the  houses  of  Dives,  the  rich  man ;  and  of 
Lazarus  the  beggar 


200 


IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


The  claims  for  the  "Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher  "  would  make  it 
the  most  interesting  spot  in  the  world,  aside  perhaps  from  Bethlehem. 
The  church  is  really  a  series  of  chapels  over  the  places  where  are  supposed 
to  have  occurred  the  many  incidents  connected  with  the  crucifixion  and 
resurrection  of  our  Lord.  They  show  us  where  Mary  stood  before  the 
tomb  weeping  ;  where  the  Saviour  was  imprisoned  ;  where  the  crown  of 

thorns  was  platted ;  where 
the  three  crosses  stood,  and 
the  holes  in  the  rock  where 
they  were  set  up  ;  the  spot 
where  Mary  the  mother  of 
Jesus  remained  during  the 
crucifixion ;  the  stone  upon 
which  his  body  was  anointed 
when  taken  down  from  the 
cross ;  the  rent  in  the  rock 
made  by  the  earthquake  ;  and 
the  scenes  of  various  other 
events  which  occurred  dur- 
ing the  last  days  of  our  Lord's 
life.  These  chapels,  con- 
trolled respectively,  by 
Greeks,  Latins,  Armenians, 
and  Copts,  are  beautiful  in 
architecture.  Groined  arches 
and  pillars  are  numerous ; 
lanterns  drop  from  ceiling 
and  rafter;  paintings  and  draperies  appear  in  abundance.  In  the  "  chapel 
of  Golgotha  "  is  a  picture  of  the  virgin  Mary,  set  in  diamonds. 

Our  deepest  interest  centered  in  what  is  claimed  to  be  the  holy  sepul- 
cher.  It  lies  within  a  small  chapel,  built  of  Santa  Croce  marble,  and  is 
reached  by  a  long,  low  passage.  The  sepulcher  is  small,  being  only  six 
feet  by  seven,  and  almost  half  the  space  is  occupied  by  the  marble  slab 
shown  as  the  tomb  of  the  Lord.  The  slab  is  cracked,  and  much  worn  by 
the  kisses  of  pilgrims.  There  are  two  chambers  in  the  sepulcher,  the  first 


THRONE  OF  THE  PATRIARCH,  CHURCH  OF  HOLY  SEPULCHRE. 


PALESTINE.  201 

containing  the  stone  which  the  angels  rolled  away  from  the  opening  of  the 
tomb,  while  the  sepulcher  itself  is  beyond.  However  incredulous  one  may 
be,  he  cannot  fail  to  be  moved  as  he  stands  on  the  spot  which  has  been 
so  venerated  by  thousands,  for  ages,  and  notes  in  pilgrim  worshipers 
the  quivering  lip  and  tearful  eye,  betokening  hearts  full  of  tender 
adoration. 

The  scene  here  on  Easter  Eve  is  said  to  be  exceedingly  thrilling. 
Thousands  of  Greek  worshipers  are  then  gathered  from  all  points  of  the 
world.  A  patriarch  enters  the  sepulcher  to  light  his  taper  with  fire  from 
heaven ;  bundles  of  tapers  are  held  by  the  priests ;  thousands  of  wor- 
shipers with  tapers  in  hand  press  eagerly  forward  to  get  the  first  light  from 
the  fire  thrust  through  an  opening  in  the  sepulcher  ;  hastily  it  is  passed 
from  one  to  another,  until  the  church,  the  court  in  front,  and  indeed  the 
entire  city  is  lurid  with  the  flame.  In  this  eager,  surging  throng  many 
have  lost  their  lives,  and  for  some  years  Turkish  soldiers  have  carefully 
guarded  this  service ;  while  the  officials  of  the  city  have  held  the  custody 
of  the  keys  to  the  sepulcher,  to  keep  peace  between  the  contending  sects. 

One  Lord's  day  we  visited  the  American  colony,  located  on  the  wall  by 
the  Damascus  Gate  ;  we  appreciated  their  unpretentious  hospitality,  and 
especially  enjoyed  an  hour  of  devotions,  when  many  —  strangers  before  — 
found  the  oneness  which  Christ's  Spirit  gives.  I  find  that  the  people  of 
Jerusalem  have  much  respect  for  this  home.  A  visit  to  the  Misses  Robin- 
son and  Dunn,  missionaries  of  the  Christian  Alliance,  deepened  our  inter- 
est in  their  work.  They  had  rooms  at  the  English  hospital,  and,  filled 
with  faith,  were  expecting  great  things  of  the  Lord.  A  season  of  devo- 
tion with  them  brought  hope  and  comfort  to  all  our  hearts. 

BETHLEHEM. 

Six  miles  south  of  Jerusalem  is  the  little  city  of  David.  We  asked  our 
dragoman  the  distance,  and  he  replied,  "One  hour  by  carriage  and  an 
hour  and  a  half  on  horseback  ;"  and  still  we  were  at  a  loss  to  know  how 
far  it  really  was.  But  most  of  the  tour  through  Palestine  must  be  made  on 
horseback,  and  having  had  some  experience  in  India  with  the  saddle,  we 
concluded  to  make  the  journey  by  the  "one  hour"  method.  We  passed 
out  of  the  Jaffa  Gate,  along  the  valley  of  Gihon,  where  Solornan  was  pro- 


202 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


claimed  king  and  crowned.  As  this  valley  turns  eastward,  it  becomes 
Hinnom,  or  Gehenna,  which,  with  its  burnings,  was  made  by  Christ  the 
symbol  of  torment ;  upon  the  left  is  the  traditional  "field  of  blood  "  bought 
with  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver,  and  in  which  Judas  hung  himself.  Just 
beyond  is  the  Hill  of  Evil  Counsel,  where  Caiaphas's  country-house  stood, 

and  where  the  Jews  met  to  plot  against 
Jesus.  As  we  begin  a  long  ascent, 
we  are  shown  the  "Well  of  the 
Magi,"  where  tradition  says  the 
thirsty  wise  men  stopped  for  water 
when  they  had  lost  sight  of  the  star, 
and  saw  it  reflected  there.  How  often 
God  would  teach  by  reflecting  the 
light  of  heaven  through  human  in- 
strumentalities ! 

Rachel's  Tomb  is  before  us,  close 
to  the  road.  A  feeling  of  deep  sad- 
ness came  over  us  at  the  sight,  per- 
haps because  Rachel  died  in  this 
lonely  spot  when  Benjamin  was  born; 
perhaps  because  she  was  buried  away 
from  all  the  rest  of  the  family.  When 
her  soul  was  departing,  she  said, 
"Call  him  Ben-oni,"  but  his  father 
said,  "Let  his  name  be  Benjamin, 
the  son  of  my  right  hand."  Jacob's 
love  for  Rachel  was  rare  ;  his  seven 
years'  service  for  her  seemed  only 
a  few  days.  He  placed  a  pillar  upon 
her  grave,  and  long  years  afterward,  on  nearing  the  spot,  he  repeated  the 
story  of  his  loss. 

A  turn  to  the  left,  and  fifteen  minutes  will  take  us  to  Bethlehem.  Had 
we  looked  to  the  right  over  Rachel's  Tomb,  we  might  have  seen  the  place 
where  Saul  was  met  by  the  messengers  of  Samuel,  but  we  turn  to  scenes 
which  suggest  no  less  interesting  memories.  We  see  Naomi  returning  from 


WOMAN  OF  BETHLEHEM. 


PALESTINE.  203 

Moab  with  faithful  Ruth,  who  becomes  a  gleaner,  then  the  wife  of  Boaz, 
and  the  ancestress  of  David  and  Christ.  Little  did  she  know  what  would 
be  the  reward  of  her  faithfulness  to  the  true  God,  or  what  possibilities  are 
before  every  obedient  one.  Here  Saul  was  anointed  first  king  over  Israel. 
Westminster  is  renowned  as  the  crowning  place  of  all  the  rulers  of  England 
since  Harold  ;  and  there  is  shown  the  chair  of  coronation  scarred  with  age, 
and  the  Scone  Stone  upon  which  Scotland's  rulers  were  crowned  before 
England's  were,  also  her  own  —  and  why  should  we  not  notice  the  spot 
where  Israel's  first  king  was  anointed  ? 

Again  the  funeral  procession  for  Asahel  seems  to  pass  before  us. 
Asahel,  "light  of  foot  as  a  wild  roe,"  but  who,  like  many  another  young 
man,  died  on  account  of  his  rashness.  Here  too  is  the  well  of  Bethlehem, 
from  which  David  longed  to  drink  when  a  fugitive  hiding  in  caves,  and  in 
order  to  bring  him  water  from  which,  three  brave  soldiers  broke  through 
the  enemies'  lines,  just  as  Christ  has  broken  through  the  walls  of  sin 
for  us. 

But  the  scene  which  presents  itself  most  vividly  to  the  mind  at  this  place 
is  that  which  transpired  over  yonder  pastures,  with  their  flocks.  Yes,  these 
are  the  same  hills  overlapping  each  other,  and  slipping  into  the  glen. 
Again  I  see  the  flocks  upon  their  sides,  the  shepherds  lying  drowsily  upon 
the  ground  ;  then  a  sudden  light  flashing  upon  the  scene,  and  an  angel  say- 
ing, "  Fear  not :  for  behold  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  which 
shall  be  to  all  people,  for  unto  you  is  born  this  day,  in  the  city  of  David  a 
Saviour  which  is  Christ  the  Lord  ;  "  and  then  the  heavenly  host  singing, 
"Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward  men." 
These  hills  have  been  made  sacred  by  the  echo  of  angels'  songs  ;  but  has 
not  every  place  been  redeemed  and  made  sacred  by  the  work  of  Jesus  ? 
Ah  yes ;  and  this  song  was  sung  nearly  nineteen  hundred  years  ago,  and  yet 
to-day  two  thirds  of  the  human  race  do  not  know  that  a  Redeemer  has 
come.  Is  it  because  we  are  such  poor  mediums  of  sound  and  light  ?  God 
knows  ! 

But  we,  like  the  shepherds,  would  see  the  place  where  the  young  child 
lay.  A  church  was  built  over  the  spot  by  the  empress  Helena  in  327  A.  D. 
It  is  a  fine  building,  with  five  rows  of  marble  columns,  each  a  monolith 
with  Corinthian  capitals,  some  of  them  doubtless  having  come  from 


IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


Solomon's  temple.  The  rafters  are  the  original  timbers — cedars  of 
Lebanon.  Beyond  the  screen,  Greek  priests  are  chanting  hymns,  and 
swinging  lighted  censers;  close  by,  a  Turkish  soldier  stands  to  keep  the 
peace,  for  only  a  few  days  before  our  visit,  Greek  and  Latin  priests  had  a 
falling  out  near  the  altar,  and  came  to  blows.  We  pass  down  the  stair- 
way under  the  altar,  to  the  cave,  which  is  thirty-three  by  eleven  feet,  en- 
cased with  Italian  marble,  and  lighted 
by  ever-burning  lamps.  On  one 
side  of  the  grotto  is  a  small  low  recess, 
in  the  bottom  of  which  is  placed  a 
silver  star,  surrounded  by  the  sentence, 
' '  Hie  de  Virgine  Maria  Jesus  Christus 
natus  est."  (Here  of  the  Virgin  Mary 
Jesus  Christ  was  born.)  Moham- 
medans, Jews,  Christians,  all  agree 
that  this  was  the  place  of  Christ's 
birth. 

No  words  can  express  the  emotions 
which  fill  me  as  I  stand  here.  My 
mind  runs  back  through  history  ;  it 
suggests  what  Christ's  advent  meant 
to  himself,  to  the  world,  and  to  me. 
To  attempt  to  take  in  the  significance 
of  it  all  is  almost  overwhelming. 
Pilgrims  beside  me  kneel  in  adoration, 
wiping  the  tears  from  their  faces,  while 
one  very  humble  man  falls  upon 
his  face,  and  crawling  into  the  recess,  presses  his  lips  against  the  star. 
Damp  and  chilly  is  the  place,  but  not  so  cold  as  when  our  Lord  was  born 
here.  Jesus  was  born  in  Bethlehem  because  its  people  were  humble,  and 
he  continues  to  enter  only  humble  lives. 

The  "  Chapel  of  the  Manger,"  the  "  Altar  of  the  Magi,"  and  even  the 
"Altar  of  the  Innocents,"  where  thousands  of  the  children  of  Herod's 
massacre  are  said  to  have  been  buried,  claimed  but  little  of  our  attention 
after  standing  in  the  cave  of  the  nativity.  Convents  belonging  to  the 


CHURCH  OF  THE  NATIVITY  —  NAVE 


PALESTINE.  205 

Greeks,  Latins,  and  Armenians,  respectively,  are  connected  with  this 
church.  Bethlehem  is  called  the  most  Christian  town  in  Palestine.  Her 
streets  are  narrow,  crooked,  and  filthy.  She  has  a  population  of  about 
eight  thousand,  living  in  five  hundred  houses,  their, chief  business  being 
the  manufacture  of  souvenirs  from  mother-of-pearl,  olive,  and  Dead  Sea 
wood. 

SOLOMON'S  POOLS  AND  HEBRON. 

About  six  miles  beyond  Bethlehem  we  come  to  Solomon's  Pools  ;  they 
are  three  in  number,  arranged  on  terraces  one  above  another.  The 
marble  masonry  is  strong,  looking  as  though  it  might  be  no  more  than  a 
century  old.  The  lower  pool  is  582  feet  long,  207  wide  at  one  end,  and 
148  at  the  other,  and  at  the  east  end  fifty  feet  deep  ;  the  middle  pool  is 
423  feet  long,  250  feet  wide  on  one  side,  and  160  on  the  other;  the  upper 
pool  is  380  feet  long,  and  236  and  229  feet  wide  at  the  respective  sides. 
These  immense  reservoirs  supplied  the  water  for  Bethlehem,  Jerusalem,  and 
Solomon's  gardens,  just  below  the  pools  in  the  valley  where  his  summer 
palace  doubtless  was.  Here  he  made  great  works,  builded  houses,  made 
his  heart  glad  with  pleasant  fruits,  spikenard  and  saffron,  calamus  and 
cinnamon,  myrrh  and  aloes,  fountains  and  drives.  A  small  colony  of 
Europeans  live  here,  and  find  the  soil  very  fertile.  . 

To  reach  Hebron  we  continue  our  journey  beyond  the  pools.  The 
greater  part  of  the  way  is  through  a  rocky,  barren  country,  indeed  the 
greater  part  of  Palestine  is  desolate;  evidently  the  "abomination  of  deso- 
lation "  is  everywhere.  The  people  are  poor,  ignorant,  and  filthy  ;  the  vil- 
lages mud-walled,  straw-thatched,  and  vermin-infested.  On  the  hillside 
the  Bedouin  spreads  his  black  tent,  just  as  he  did  in  Abraham's  time. 
Arabs  stalk  through  the  valleys,  with  long  brass  mounted  flint-lock  and  dag- 
ger. Caravans  from  Damascus  and  Gaza  pass  each  other  west  of  Hebron 
and  Jerusalem.  We  see  camels  blinking  at  the  light  as  though  stalking 
out  of  a  past  age,  and  donkeys  looking  as  though  they  might  be  just  get- 
ting up  from  a  third  attack  of  la  grippe. 

There  are  very  comfortable  quarters  in  some  of  the  large  cities  for 
travelers,  while  the  tenting  outfit  is  usually  arranged  to  furnish  a  supply 
for  every  need.  There  are  evidences  that  the  fertility  of  the  country  is 


206  AV  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

returning  ;  this  is  brought  about  by  a  much  larger  fall  of  water  than  for- 
merly. The  Jews  are  rapidly  returning ;  of  the  sixty  thousand  inhabitants 
of  Jerusalem,  over  half  are  Jews,  and  some  of  the  fertile  plains  have  been 
turned  over  to  them  by  the  sultan.  The  Turkish  government  is  bankrupt ; 
and  it  would  not  be  surprising  if  an  unlimited  amount  of  the  Holy  Land 
were  yielded  to  the  Jews  for  a  consideration. 

But  here  we  are  at  Hebron,  having  come  over  the  way  trod  by  Abra- 
ham when  he  went  to  Moriah  with  Isaac,  and  by  David's  army  when  he 
went  to  capture  Zion.  This  is  said  to  be  the  oldest  town  in  Palestine,  and 
one  of  the  oldest  in  the  world.  It  was  known  in  Abraham's  time  as 
Mamre  ;  it  is  now  divided  into  six  or  seven  hamlets.  Here  Abraham,  the 
father  of  his  people,  lived,  and  walked  these  paths  ;  and  when  Sarah  died, 
looked  up  through  bitter  tears  to  the  countless  stars,  the  prophecy  of  his 
posterity.  Hither  came  Joshua  and  Caleb,  and  from  this  valley  of  Eshcol 
carried  back  rich  fruit.  Here  Absalom  was  born,  and  here  Abner  was 
treacherously  murdered.  Here  was  the  patriarchal  burial-place.  When 
Jacob  lay  dying  in  Egypt,  he  charged  those  about  him  to  bring  his  body 
hither.  Here  were  buried  Abraham  and  Sarah,  and  Isaac  and  Rebecca, 
in  the  cave  of  Machpelah,  which  is  no  longer  in  the  midst  of  a  field,  but 
under  a  mosque. 

We  could  walk  around  this  mosque,  ascend  the  hill  behind,  and  look 
down  upon  it,  stand  on  a  certain  number  of  steps  at  the  foot  of  the  flight, 
but  no  farther  could  we  go.  The  Moslems  regard  this  as  a  very  sacred 
building,  and  aside  from  a  few  notable  exceptions,  Christian  visitors  have 
not  been  allowed  to  enter  it.  Both  Jews  and  Christians  always  go  as  far 
as  they  are  allowed  to,  and  feel  with  the  Moslem,  that  this  is  a  spot  for 
reverence  and  affection  ;  not  because  a  great  king  lies  here,  but  because 
four  thousand  years  ago  a  humble  shepherd,  known  as  El-Khalil,  "  the 
friend" — the  friend  of  God  and  of  nations  —  pitched  his  tent  in  yonder 
field,  lived  for  all  succeeding  generations  in  this  land,  and  was  buried  in 
the  cave  now  under  the  mosque. 

A  half  hour's  ride  over  a  slippery  path,  on  a  stubborn  donkey,  will  bring 
one  to  "Abraham's  oak,"  which  everybody  wants  to  see.  Near  by  is 
pointed  out  the  site  of  the  patriarch's  dwelling-place,  a  spot  sacred  in- 


PALESTINE. 


207 


deed  ;  for  "here  the  Lord  appeared  to  him  in  the  plains  of  Mamre,"  here 
"  the  friend  "  pleaded  for  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 

Evidences  are  all  about  us  that  the  fruitfulness  of  Eshcol  remains; 
over  the  rock-terraced  hillsides  and  among  the  deep  gorges,  grape-vines 
and  fig-trees  abound.  While  we  remember  the  past,  the  sigh  for  the 
present  is  relieved  by  the  promise  of  the  future,  for  "  the  seed  shall  be 
prosperous;  the  vine  shall  give  her  fruit  .  .  .  and  I  will  cause  the  remnant 
of  this  people  to  possess  all  these 
things"  saith  the  Lord. 

THE    JORDAN    VALLEY. 

On  Feb.  24,  1891,  it  stormed  in 
Jerusalem,  but  we  had  planned  to  see 
Jericho  that  day  ;  and,  hoping  that 
the  rain  would  soon  cease,  we  started 
at  9.30  A.  M.  Our  party  consisted  of 
five, —  Mr.  Sandford  and  myself; 
Assad  Jamal,  our  dragoman ;  Omar 
Salah,  the  muleteer ;  and  Ali  Ma- 
hamud,  who  joined  us  beyond  Beth- 
any, as  our  protector. 

We  passed  through  the  Jaffa  Gate, 
turned  westward  and  ascended  the 
hill  to  the  corner  of  the  city  wall ; 
then  took  a  northerly  course,  past  the 
Damascus  Gate,  leaving  the  "new  tomb  "  and  Calvary  upon  the  left ;  then, 
turning  to  the  east,  went  over  the  Kidron,  across  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat, 
past  Gethsemane  ;  then  over  the  eastern  shoulder  of  Olivet,  coming  soon 
to  Bethany  ;  after  which  we  crossed  another  ravine,  ascended  another  hill, 
and  found  ourselves  on  the  rugged  road  to  Jericho.  Here  the  bleak  wind 
seemed  to  have  free  wing  from  the  far-off  sea  ;  the  needly  hail  stung  us  at 
every  stroke,  causing  our  horses  to  plunge  and  rear.  Add  to  this  the  fact 
that  horses  in  Palestine  are  driven  by  the  feet  and  voice  of  the  rider,  and 
not  by  the  rein  ;  and  that  a  pull  of  the  rein  means  just  opposite  to  what 


ASSAD  JAMAL. 


208  /A'   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

it  does  in  America;  and  that  we  were  learning  this  in  a  windy  hail-storm, 
upon  a  road  whose  unprotected  sides  often  slipped  away  into  precipitous 
gorges  ;  and  you  can  easily  imagine  our  circumstances  on  this  morning. 
But  anticipations  of  what  awaited  us  urged  us  on.  We  were  to  pass  over 
the  way  traveled  by  Christ  and  his  disciples  as  they  journeyed  between  the 
Jordan  and  the  holy  city ;  and  to  behold  the  ruins  of  the  first  city  taken  by 
Joshua  this  side  the  Jordan  ;  the  site  of  Reha,  the  Jericho  of  Christ's 
time ;  the  Jordan  ;  the  Dead  Sea ;  the  mountains  of  Moab  and  Benjamin. 
Our  first  stopping-place  was  near  the  "Apostles'  Fountain.''  They 
called  it  an  inn,  but  it  was  only  a  wretched  khan  —  a  stone  wall  surrounding 
three  sides;  pieces  of  camel's-hair  cloth,  through  which  the  rain  dropped, 
forming  the  roof  ;  an  iron  brasier,  with  hardly  fire  enough  to  roast  chestnuts, 
the  only  heater  which  the  place  afforded  ;  a  few  Arabs  huddled  together  in 
a  corner  about  a  hooka,  which  they  smoked  in  turn,  now  stopping  their 
smoking  and  their  jabber  to  stare  at  us  for  a  moment,  and  then  resuming 
their  preferable  avocation  of  smoking  and  talking  ;  an  attendant  to  sell 
coffee  and  curios,  —  this  was  "  the  inn."  At  yonder  spring,  across  the  path, 
no  doubt  Jesus  and  his  disciples  often  drank  ;  many  a  traveler  has  quenched 
his  thirst  there  too,  and  has  thirsted  again.  Thank  God  there  is  a  stand- 
ing invitation  from  Jesus,  "  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  me  and 
drink  !  "  What  a  multitude  can  say  :  — 

"I  came  to  Jesus  as  I  was, 

Weary  and  lone  and  sad  ; 
I  found  in  him  a  resting  place, 
And  he  has  made  me  glad." 

Two  hours'  travel  beyond  here  brings  us  to  the  traditional  scene  of  the 
events  brought  out  in  the  parable  of  the  good  Samaritan.  We  enter  the 
khan,  which  is  large  enough  to  accommodate  a  caravan.  Upon  the  left  is 
a  sheepfold,  where  we  spread  our  rugs  and  partake  of  a  refreshing  lunch. 
Upon  the  right,  in  the  corner  of  a  cattle  pen,  a  group  of  natives  try  to 
warm  themselves  by  a  flashy  fire  of  grass  and  briars,,  and  they  kindly  wel- 
come me  to  a  seat  beside  them,  and  make  a  place  for  my  wet  feet.  I 
could  not  understand  their  language,  but  they  taught  me,  better  than  I  ever 
understood  before,  who  my  neighbor  is. 


PALESTINE. 


209 


The  end  of  our  journey  is  reached  by  a  ride  of  three  hours  beyond  this 
spot.  The  road  is  rough  and  mountainous,  along  which  are  deep  ravines 
intersecting  each  other,  through  one  of  which  the  brook  Cherith  runs,  six 
hundred  feet  below  us.  Somewhere  in  this  locality,  the  prophet  Elijah 
was  hid,  and  fed  by  the  ravens.  Even  while  thinking  of  this,  a  raven  cir- 
cles over  our  heads,  and  we  learn  for  the  first  time  that  the  ravens  of  Pales- 
tine are  about  twice  the  size  of  the  American  crow.  Our  zigzag  way  ends 
abruptly ;  for  one  last,  long,  deep  descent  takes  us  to  a  plain  of  grass  and 


JERICHO  —  MOUNTAIN  OF  THE  TEMPTATION. 

flowers  and  a  forest  of  thorn  bushes  ;  but  before  we  descend,  we  must  look 
at  the  scene  spread  out  before  us. 

The  mountains  upon  which  we  stand  —  the  mountains  of  Judah — roll 
away  to  north  and  south.  In  front  of  us  is  the  Jordan  valley,  six  miles 
wide,  with  the  ruins  of  Jericho  and  the  site  of  Gilgal,  the  Jordan  itself 
flowing  through  the  midst  and  pouring  into  the  Dead  Sea,  which  seems 
close  at  hand,  but  which  is  really  six  miles  distant.  On  the  other  side  are 
Bashan  and  Gilead,  crested  with  recently  fallen  snow,  and  cleft  with  low- 
hanging  clouds.  Below  is  Nebo,  with  Pisgah  in  the  center,  bearing  upon 
its  seaward  side  the  ruins  of  Machaerus  and  Zoar.  This  scene,  almost  un- 


210 


IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 


surpassed  for  beauty,  is  greatly  enhanced  as  we  repeople  it,  and  see 
enacted  again  the  events  of  the  past,  from  the  times  of  Abraham  and  Lot, 
Joshua  and  Elijah,  down  to  John  the  Baptist  and  Christ.  After  fording 


DEAD  SEA. 

the  Cherith  and  galloping  over  the  plain,  we  find  comfortable  lodgings  at 
the  Jerusalem  Hotel,  where  we  dry  our  wet  limbs  over  a  brasier,  refresh 
ourselves  with  a  well-served  dinner,  and  then  sleep  sweetly. 

The  next  morning  is  sunny  and  warm  in  the  Jordan  valley.  As  we 
canter  across  the  plain  to  the  Dead  Sea,  we  get  a  glimpse  of  Olivet,  white 
with  snow  that  fell  yesterday,  while  with  us  the  air  is  springlike,  and 
flowers  are  blooming  everywhere.  There  are  a  great  variety,  but  the  golden 
camomile  and  scarlet  rose  of  Sharon  predominate.  The  sea  has  a  gloomy, 
leaden  look,  and  the  shore  is  strewn  with  rubbish.  The  water  is  bitter  to 
the  taste,  but  soft  and  delightful  to  the  touch,  and  very  buoyant  to  the 
swimmer.  It  has  an  area  of  250  geographical  miles,  a  mean  depth  of 
1080  feet,  and  is  the  most  depressed  body  of  water  on  the  globe,  being 
1300  feet  below  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean.  Its  bitter  and  malignant 
character  is  due  to  the  large  amount  of  mineral  salt  held  in  solution. 

It  was  here  that  Lot  chose  for  himself  a  home;  the  battle  of  the  four 
kings  against  five  took  place  "in  the  vale  of  Siddim,  which  is  the  salt  sea 


PALESTINE. 


211 


.  .  .  and  the  vale  of  Siddim  was  full  of  slime-pits  ;  and  the  kings  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah  fled,  and  fell  there."  Here  were  the  wicked  cities  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  upon  which  the  Lord  rained  fire  and  brimstone  ; 
fleeing  this  place,  Lot's  wife  looked  back,  and  became  a  pillar  of  salt. 
What  terrible  convulsions  have  occurred  here,  both  in  nature  and  among 
humanity  !  Yet  Christ  declared  that  in  the  day  of  judgment  it  would  be 
more  tolerable  for  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  than  for  those  who  refuse  the 
gospel. 

It  is  an  hour's  ride  from  the  sea  to  that  part  of  the  Jordan  that  we 
especially  desire  to  visit ;  and  when  we  halt  upon  its  overflowing  banks,  a 
longing  of  childhood's  days  is  gratified.  Here  Lot  lifted  up  his  eyes  to  be- 
hold ''the  well  watered  plain;  "  here  the  people  passed  over,  right  against 
Jericho;  hither  came  Elijah  and  Elisha,as  the  elder  prophet  was  about  to 


JORDAN,  OPPOSITE  GILGAL. 


be  taken  up  in  a  chariot  of  fire  ;  here  rang  out  the  "voice  of  one  crying  in 
the  wilderness  ;"  and  here  another  voice  said,  "This  is  my  beloved  Son 
in  whom  I  am  well  pleased,  hear  ye  him."  All  about  is  verdant  foliage; 


21 1>  IN   THE   PATH   OF  LIGHT. 

willow,  oleander,  loranthus,  jujube-tree,  wild  olive,  and  many  other  trees 
and  shrubs  grow  along  the  river  banks. 

Beside  the  turbulent  river  we  have  our  lunch  of  sardines,  chicken, 
beef,  bread,  cheese,  oranges,  nuts,  and  raisins,  together  with  a  beverage 
very  rare.  We  directed  Assad  to  exchange  his  wine  for  lemons,  and  now 
we  drink  lemonade  made  from  Jaffa  lemons  and  Jordan  water.  The 
yellow  water  has  to  settle  after  being  snatched  from  the  turbulent  breast 
of  its  mother,  and  the  bottoms  of  our  glasses  are  covered  with  the  sands  of 
Anti-Libanus,  nevertheless,  our  thirst  is  quenched.  The  Jordan  is  sacred 
not  only  to  Jew  and  Christian  but  also  to  the  Mussulman  ;  and  while  we 
eat,  our  Mohammedan  protector  spreads  his  rug  upon  the  shore,  and  goes 
through  with  his  devotions. 

Returning,  we  ford  the  Cherith  ;  pass  the  site  of  ancient  Gilgal ;  go 
through  Riha,  the  present  Jericho  ;  follow  a  rough,  thorn-hedged,  wind- 
ing path  to  lt  Elisha's  Fountain,"  supposed  to  be  the  spot  where  he 
sweetened  the  bitter  waters.  The  ruins  of  the  city  of  palm-trees  and  the 
scene  of  Joshua's  victories  are  close  by  ;  hither  also  the  spies  came  ;  here 
was  Rahab's  house;  here  Elijah  spent  his  last  days,  and  here  lived  Zacchaeus. 

Standing  upon  the  ruins  of  old  Jericho,  the  history  of  past  events 
which  have  transpired  within  the  radius  of  the  eye's  vision  passes  before 
us,  and  we  live  it  over  again.  To  the  north  and  west  are  the  mountains 
of  Judah,  among  them  is  Quarantania  (Forty  Days),  the  traditional  scene 
of  the  Lord's  temptation.  The  side  facing  the  plain  is  precipitous,  naked, 
and  chalky  ;  half  way  up  may  be  seen  the  caves  where  the  hermits  have 
retired  for  fasting  and  prayer.  Spread  out  like  a  prairie,  between  us  and 
the  Judaean  hills,  is  the  valley  of  Achor,  where  Achan  was  stoned  for 
betraying  Israel.  To-day  its  waste  is  broken  only  by  a  small  herd  of 
horses  and  a  flock  of  sheep,  the  latter  having  the  long  ears  and  heavy  tail 
peculiar  to  the  Orient.  From  Elishah's  spring  at  our  feet  the  eye  sweeps 
over  the  valley  to  Mounts  Ephraim  and  Benjamin,  to  the  Dead  Sea,  and 
to  Nebo,  where  Moses  stood  and  "viewed  the  landscape  o'er."  We  are 
led  to  recall  the  beginning  of  a  certain  poem  which  reads  :  — 

"  By  Nebo's  lonely  mountain, 

On  this  side  Jordan's  wave, 

In  a  vale  in  the  land  of  Moab, 

There  lies  a  lonely  grave." 


PALESTINE.  213 

But  we  also  remember  the  closing  stanza  of  the  same,  which  says  :  — 

"  God  has  his  mysteries  of  grace, 

Ways  that  \ve  cannot  tell  ; 
He  hides  them  deep,  like  the  hidden  sleep 
Of  him  he  loved  so  well." 

SAMARIA  FROM  JERUSALEM. 

After  another  Lord's  day  in  the  holy  city  —  which  was  to  me  a  day  of  real 
rest,  although  I  preached  again  at  the  Presbyterian  Mission  —  we  start 
for  Samaria.  We  pass  through  the  Jaffa  Gate,  and  proceed  over  the  hills 
to  the  northwest.  The  way  is  mostly  a  mass  of  stones  and  ledge-rock, 
with  here  and  there  a  pool  of  mud  or  a  stream  to  ford,  which  has  been  in- 
creased by  the  recent  rain.  Passing  the  tombs  of  the  kings,  and  ascend- 
ing a  hill,  we  wheel  our  horses  for  our  last  look  upon  the  city.  Peacefully 
it  lies,  cleaving  the  sky  between  Olivet  and  Moab.  "O  Jerusalem,  Jerusa- 
lem," city  of  peace,  hadst  thou  known  the  things  which  made  for  thy 
peace  !  Under  thy  domes  and  minarets,  antichrist  holds  undisputed  sway, 
but  the  feet  of  the  King  shall  stand  there  again,  and  his  glory  shall  be 
revealed. 

Near  to  us,  on  the  left,  is  the  village  of  Shafat,  site  of  the  ancient  Nob ; 
farther  away,  and  to  the  right,  is  the  Gibeah  of  Saul.  It  was  here  that  his 
seven  descendants  were  hanged  by  the  Amorites,  and  where  Rizpah  showed 
her  mother-love,  by  defending  their  bodies  through  six  long  summer  months. 
The  hill  of  Mizpah,  crowned  by  Neby-Samwil,  seems  not  far  away ;  and 
near  to  that  are  the  Beth-Horons  and  Ajalon  where  Joshua  defeated  the 
Amorites.  Continuing  our  journey,  we  pass  ruins  and  squalid  villages, 
among  them  that  of  El-Bireh,  the  traditional  place  where  the  parents  of  Jesus 
missed  their  boy  and  turned  back  to  find  him  in  the  temple  disputing  with 
the  teachers. 

At  6  :  20  P.  M.  we  reached  Ram  Alleh,  nine  miles  from  Jerusalem,  where 
we  spent  the  night  in  a  convent,  the  place  having  no  hotel.  We  are  tired 
and  muddy;  and  after  going  up  to  the  housetop  for  a  view,  taking  a 
glimpse  at  the  chapel,  which  the  monks  had  endeavored  to  decorate  with 
miserable  frescoes,  and  which  is  under  the  same  roof  with  domicile  and 
stable,  we  warm  our  feet  over  a  scantily  supplied  brasier,  leap  into  our 
couch  from  the  stone  floor,  cold  and  clammy,  and  try  to  sleep.  We  con- 


214  IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 

sider  the  damp  bed  as  another  one  of  the  "all  things,"  and  a  rat  which 
gnaws  at  our  food  all  night,  another. 

Assad  knocked  on  our  door  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  we  reluc- 
tantly arose,  although  we  had  as  reluctantly  lain  in  our  bed.  The 
Rubicon  was  passed,  however,  when  the  soles  of  our  shoes  were  between 
us  and  the  stone  floor. 

Resuming  our  journey,  half  an  hour  brings  us  to  Bethel,  now  a 
wretched  village  of  about  five  hundred  inhabitants,  though  remains  of 
cisterns,  towers,  and  solid  masonry  point  to  other  days.  Here  Abraham 
lifted  an  altar  and  "  called  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  ;  "  Jacob  halted  here, 
weary  with  his  forty. miles'  journey,  and  making  a  stone  his  pillow,  lay 
down  to  sleep.  Here  upon  a  ladder  of  light,  angels  ascended  and  descended 
in  his  dreams,  and  awaking,  he  said,  "This  is  none  other  than  the  house 
of  God,  and  this  is  the  gate  of  heaven."  The  "house  of  God"  was 
changed  into  Bethaven,  the  "house  of  idols,"  and  thus  was  fulfilled  the 
prophecy  of  Hosea  which  says:  "The  high  places  also  of  Aven,  the  sin 
of  Israel,  shall  be  destroyed  ;  the  thorn  and  the  thistle  shall  come  up  on 
their  altars  ;  and  they  shall  say  to  the  mountains,  Cover  us  ;  and  to  the 
hills,  Fall  on  us."  Amos  says  :  "  For  thus  saith  the  Lord  unto  the  house 
of  Israel,  Seek  ye  me  and  ye  shall  live  :  but  seek  not  Bethel,  nor  enter  into 
Gilgal,  and  pass  not  to  Beer-sheba,  for  Gilgal  shall  surely  go  into  cap- 
tivity, and  Bethel  shall  come  to  naught.  To-day  Bethel  is  only  a  ruin, 
with  nothing  attractive  about  it,  save  the  memory  of  some  of  its  former  days. 

A  little  farther  on  is  Ai,  where  Joshua  by  strategy  accomplished  a  great 
victory.  Shiloh  comes  next,  a  mountain  of  ruins,  by  which  every  traveler 
can  see  what  God  did  on  account  of  the  wickedness  of  his  people  Israel. 
Here  the  land  was  divided  among  the  tribes,  and  here  the  tabernacle  was 
reared.  Eli  and  Ahijah  dwelt  here ;  while  to  this  place  Hannah  came 
yearly  with  the  "little  coat "  for  the  child  Samuel.  Beyond  this  a  little 
distance  is  the  Lebonah  spoken  of  in  Judges  21  :  19,  and  then  the  vision 
of  Gerizim  and  Ebal,  with  snow-crowned  Hermon  far  beyond ;  while 
close  at  hand  the  broad  field  where  Joseph's  brethren  tended  their  flocks, 
stretches  away  for  many  square  miles. 

Our  horses  are  remarkably  sure-footed  ;  sometimes  our  way  leads  over 
a  bed  of  loose  stones,  then  we  have  to  climb  steep,  ledgy  mountains,  and 


PALESTINE.  215 

descend  the  opposite  side  so  precipitous  that  it  is  safest  to  dismount  and 
walk  down  ;  but  they  have  never  stumbled  or  staggered  with  us.  Now  we 
go  over  a  marshy  plain,  now  by  the  fertile  valley  of  the  "  Robbers'  Fount- 
ain," where  cool  water  drips  from  the  rock  upon  green  maiden-hair  ferns 
and  varied  flora  ;  and  now  we  are  at  one  of  the  most  sacred  spots  in  the 
land — Jacob's  Well.  It  is  a  deep  shaft  cut  into  the  rock  about  nine  feet 
across,  and  now  over  seventy  feet  deep.  It  rs  thought  that  originally  it 
was  twice  that  depth,  for  a  large  lot  of  rubbish  has  fallen  into  and  around 
it.  Encouraged  by  a  few  piasters,  a  native  descends  through  the  funnel- 
shaped  opening,  and  allows  us  to  drink  from  his  earthen  jar.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  this  is  the  place  where  Jesus  sat  and  talked  with  the  woman 
about  the  water  of  life  ;  where  he  said,  "I  have  meat  to  eat  that  ye  know 
not  of  ;  "  and  where,  lifting  up  his  eyes,  he  beheld  a  figure  of  the  world's 
condition  in  the  fields  "  white  already  to  harvest." 

We  are  to  pass  the  night  at  Nabulus,  or  Shechem,  as  it  was  formerly 
called,  and  -wearily  we  wind  our  way  past  the  Turkish  barracks,  through 
the  gateway,  and  into  the  narrow,  dark,  crooked,  and  slippery  streets  of 
the  quaint  old  Samaritan  town,  where  we  come  at  length  to  another  Latin 
convent,  the  only  place  where  we  dare  to  ask  for  hospitality.  The  fat, 
good-natured  priest  and  the  bright  schoolmaster  both  give  us  a  cordial  wel- 
come, which  is  a  relief  from  the  stern  and  questioning  gaze  of  the  natives, 
who  have  watched  us  all  along  the  streets.  Assad  tells  us  that  Gaza, 
Hebron,  and  Nabulus  are  the  most  inhospitable  to  foreigners  of  any  cities 
in  Palestine,  and  that  Nabulus  is  most  dangerous  of  all,  since  a  foreigner 
not  long  since  accidentally  killed  a  native  there. 

The  end  of  our  journey  finds  us  mud-bespattered,  lame,  and  weary  , 
but  after  refreshments  we  seek  the  housetop  to  take  a  view  of  our  sur- 
roundings. Upon  the  south,  rising  precipitously  to  the  height  of  nearly 
three  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  is  Gerizim.  'On  its  summit  are  the 
thick  walls  of  a  ruin  ;  here  the  Samaritans  say  that  Isaac  was  offered,  and 
Jacob  had  his  vision  of  the  ascending  and  descending  angels.  Here  they 
celebrate  their  feast  of  the  Passover  annually.  Ebal  rises  to  the  north  of 
the  city,  and  affords  a  magnificent  view.  Fruit-trees  and  vines  surround 
the  base,  but  a  forest  of  prickly  pear  completely  covers  its  sides  farther 
up  ;  a  winding  path  leads  to  a  chapel,  half-way  up,  and  goes  on  to  the 


21  (i 


IN  THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


summit.  Upon  these  hillsides  the  children  of  Israel  gathered,  while  the 
Levites  lifted  up  their  voices  and  pronounced  blessings  from  Gerizim  upon 
the  obedient,  and  cursings  upon  the  rebellious  from  Ebal.  It  is  said  that 
the  mountains  form  a  kind  of  sounding-board,  and  that  persons  in  the 
valley  can  distinctly  hear  what  is  said  upon  either  of  them. 

The  scene  is  beautiful  as  one  looks  up  these  mountain-sides  and  down 

upon  the  irregular  town  ;  for  through 
the  gap  between  Gerizim  and  Ebal 
a  crimson  flood  of  sunset  smites  the 
minarets  and  domes,  falling  upon 
buildings,  vineyards,  orchards,  and 
rushing  water;  the  muezzin  comes 
out  and  cries  that  it  is  the  hour  to 
worship  "  Allah  who  is  great  :  "  then 
all  is  still ;  and  in  the  stillness  we 
find  our  convent  chamber  and  re- 
freshing sleep. 

Morning  finds  us  ready  to  resume 
our  journey,  and  after  breakfast,  a 
look  at  the  chapel  and  the  school- 
rooms, and  a  kindly  benediction  from 
our  hosts,  we  move  on  toward  Jaffa 
by  way  of  Samaria.  We  hasten 
through  the  town,  anxious  to  get 
beyond  it.  At  its  limits,  a  swift- 
running,  over-flowing  stream  of  water 
impedes  our  way.  It  must  be  forded, 
and  plunging  in,  all  make  it  easily 
except  the  muleteer.  Hearing  a 
struggle,  and  looking  back,  I  see  him  clinging  to  the  ears  of  his  quadruped, 
whose  body  is  entirely  submerged  in  the  flood.  The  beast  has  probably 
experienced  harder  difficulties,  for  he  soon  rights  himself,  and  galloping 
off,  keeps  the  lead  during  the  most  of  the  day.  I  do  not  think  that  he  was 
at  all  injured,  for  while  we  were  at  lunch,  he  undertook  the  act  of  rolling 
over,  panoplied  with  all  our  luggage. 


DANCING  GIRL. 


PALESTINE.  217 

SAMARIA. 

As  we  proceed,  the  ruins  of  Samaria  are  plainly  seen  upon  our  right. 
Great  stones,  pieces  of  columns,  lie  about  to  tell  of  the  past ;  and  many 
interesting  sites  are  pointed  out,  among  them  the  old  market,  the  lepers' 
gate,  the  temple  of  Herod,  and  the  palace  of  Ahab.  To  this  place 
Philip  came  to  preach  the  gospel  ;  here  was  the  house  of  Baal  which 
Ahab  built  and  Jehu  destroyed  ;  and  here  John  the  Baptist  was  buried  after 
being  beheaded  at  Machaerus,  his  tomb  and  also  that  of  Obadiah  being 
still  pointed  out. 

After  leaving  Samaria  we  pass  few  places  of  special  note,  but  the  day  is 
one  of  rural  pastime.  Stopping  only  for  lunch,  we  keep  in  the  saddle  most 
of  the  time  until  dark.  Now  we  skirt  the  side  of  a  mountain  ;  now  go  across 
a  plain ;  now  descend  a  hill  to  cross  a  fretting,  babbling  brook ;  then  pick 
our  way  through  a  deep  ravine,  or  wady,  where  hillside  and  glen  are 
garnished  with  flowers,  and  where  the  partridge  hurries  her  brood  away, 
or  drums  for  her  mate.  The  floral  season  has  just  begun,  but  I  count 
seventy-five  different  varieties  of  beautiful  flowers  during  the  day,  the  most 
numerous  being  the  rose  of  Sharon,  the  Cyclamen,  and  a  shrub  having  the 
appearance  of  a  cloud  of  gold.  While  the  rose  was  usually  scarlet  in 
the  Sharon  and  Jordan  valleys,  here  it  is  frequently  lavender  and  buff ; 
the  Cyclamen,  as  abundant  as  wild  violets  in  New  England,  is  the  largest 
in  size  and  most  beautiful  in  color  that  I  ever  saw. 

It  was  after  sunset  when  we  reached  a  village  with  filthy  environments  and 
snarling  dogs  in  abundance.  Assad  had  a  letter  of  introduction  to  the  Sheik, 
which  bespoke  a  welcome  to  shelter  for  the  night,  but  the  Sheik  was  away  from 
home,  and  we  must  urge  our  tired  steeds  on  two  miles  farther  to  find  the 
circumstances  repeated  ;  but  one  of  the  natives  was  persuaded  to  take  us 
in,  and  shelter  us  until  morning.  From  the  street  we  ascended  to  the 
housetop  over  a  flight  of  rough  stones,  and  there  found  the  guest  chamber, 
a  small  room,  into  which  the  late  rain  had  found  its  way  through  the 
ragged  ceiling.  Two  or  three  barred  apertures  in  the  wall  let  in  the  light 
by  day  and  the  air  by  night;  they  were  provided  with  swinging  doors  like 
those  commonly  seen  in  a  horse-stable  at  home.  Some  women  brought  in 
chaff  and  scattered  it  upon  the  floor  to  absorb  the  moisture;  then  came 


218  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

three  mattresses,  and  -a  quantity  of  puffs  and  pillows,  which  were  spread 
upon  matting  that  covered  the  chaff.  Surely  we  should  rest  delightfully  ! 

After  supper  some  men  came  in,  drank  coffee  with  us,  smoked  their 
cigarettes,  chatted,  and  said  their  prayers,  no  doubt  asking  God  to  protect 
us  through  the  night.  One  of  them  asked  our  dragoman  where  we  lived; 
he  replied,  "  In  America. "  "Where  is  America?  "  they  asked.  "Beyond 
Constantinople,"  was  the  reply.  "  O,  it's  in  England,"  they  said;  "Eng- 
land is  beyond  Constantinople."  We  cheerfully  bade  our  hosts  "good 
night,"  and  composed  ourselves,  three  in  a  row,  to  sleep,  we  having  in- 
sisted that  Assad  remain  with  us.  I  removed  my  boots  only.  My  two 
companions,  however,  laid  off  considerable  superfluous  apparel.  Mr. 
Sandford  was  anxious  to  have  our  lantern  light  extinguished,  fearing  it 
would  attract  unwelcome  neighbors  from  without,  but  I  felt  safer  with  it 
than  without  it,  especially  when  I  found  unwelcome  neighbors  within  the 
walls. 

The  stillness  which  comes  on  as  sleep  begins  to  settle  down  upon  tired 
nature  was  of  short  duration, —  Slap!  Dig!  Kick!  Crawl!  "  Ugh  !  what  is 
it?"  Well,  number  one  was  a  mouse  or  rat  that  stole  out  from  my  pillow 
and  scampered  off  to  the  lunch-bags  in  the  corner  by  Assad.  Number  two 
was  all  the  way  from  two  to  ten  thousand,  ascending  and  descending  the 
wall  beside  me.  It  wasn't  a  dream  like  Jacob's;  it  was  a  living  reality, 
and  these  moving  creatures  were  of  the  genus  Cimex  lectularius,  commonly 
called  bedbug.  Number  three  was  anywhere  from  four  to  four  millions  of 
fleas.  How  they  hopped  !  Of  course,  when  you  put  your  finger  on  one, 
he  was  n't  there;  but  several  others  were.  How  they  stung  and  bit!  It 
was  too  much  for  me,  and  arising,  I  put  on  my  boots,  pulled  my  water- 
proof hood  over  my  face,  and  sat  on  a  stool,  sleeping  a  little  between  bites. 

My  companions  twisted  and  turned  all  night,  as  the  enemy  marched, 
countermarched,  and  charged  over  their  mattresses ;  Mr.  Sandford  was 
confident  in  the  morning  that  those  bloodthirsty  creatures  had  stabbed  him 
somewhere  from  five  hundred  to  a  thousand  times. 

When  we  remonstrated  with  our  host  in  the  morning,  he  declared  that 
the  insects  must  have  been  brought  in  with  the  chaff;  but  I  assured  him 
that  I  was  confident  of  his  mistake,  because  there  were  not  more  than  six 
quarts  of  chaff  scattered  over  the  floor.  This  was  one  of  the  most  wretched 


PALESTINE. 


219 


nights  that  I  ever  passed,  and  we  hurried  away  from  Kalkilieh  before 
breakfast,  being  obliged  to  decline  a  peace-offering  of  sheep's  milk.  It 
was  a  frowzy  place,  but  our  only  help  was  treacle. 

The  remainder  of  our  journey  to  Jaffa  was  through  varied  and  pleasant 
scenes.  Now  we  stop  in  some  welcome  shade  to  lunch,  now  to  watch  the 
shepherds  lead  their  flocks  through  a  deep  river,  and  then  stand  off  and 
sound  their  peculiar  call  to  gather  the  scattered  flock.  Now  we  meet  long 
lines  of  camels  and  donkeys,  burdened  with  goods  and  people  ;  now  pass 


MOUNT  CARMEL 

Mohammedans,  saying  their  prayers  by  the  river  bank;  now  we  are  at  the 
German  colony  where  some  Americans  started  out  to  reside  several  years 
ago  ;  and  now  at  Jaffa,  where  we  must  part  with  our  faithful  dragoman 
Assad,  who  has  been  very  kind  to  us,  and  gained  our  confidence  through 
his  Christian  courtesy. 

Another  night  in  Jaffa,  where  we  slept  in  Dan  instead  of  Ephraim,  as 
before  (the  rooms  in  the  hotel  are  all  named);  then,  gathering  up  the  pre- 
sentable part  of  our  baggage,  and  taking  pains  to  part  with  the  last  flea 
brought  from  Kalkilieh,  because  we  did  not  wish  to  take  anything  away 
from  Palestine  which  did  not  belong  to  us,  we  were  ready  to  sail. 

The  dread  of  reembarking  upon  a  ship  was  overcome  by  the  longing  for 


220  IN    THE  PA  TH    OF  LIGHT. 

home,  and  self-abandonment  to  the  care  of  God.  We  sailed  on  the  "Mi- 
nerva," of  the  Austrian-Lloyd  line.  Our  faithful  Suleiman  met  us  with  a 
crate  apiece  of  delicious  Jaffa  oranges,  and  when  he  took  us  to  the  ship, 
he  was  in  his  glory.  The  sea  was  strong,  and  once  our  boat  grazed  a 
rock;  but  with  him  at  the  helm,  his  next  older  brother  stroke  oarsman, 
and  nine  other  brave  fellows,  all  under  the  direction  of  Moussa,  the  mes- 
senger, we  had  no  fears.  All  the  boatmen  came  up  on  the  hurricane-deck 
of  the  " Minerva,"  where  we  had  a  few  parting  words  (our  real  feelings 
were  inexpressible)  ;  then  wishing  it  were  a  gold  medal,  I  pinned  to  the 
shirt  of  the  brave  fellow  who  had  rescued  us,  the  little  silk  American  flag 
which  my  child  had  given  me  on  leaving  home, —  the  same  that  adorned 
our  Christmas  "tower  of  Babel"  on  the  Bay  of  Bengal. 

This  was  one  of  the  most  painful  farewells  of  my  life  ;  but  when  it  was 
said,  the  men  climbed  into  their  boat  and  rowed  back  to  Jaffa,  cheering 
and  dipping  their  flag  all  the  way,  we  responding  with  our  handkerchiefs, 
sometimes  at  our  eyes  and  sometimes  tossed  to  the  breeze.  A  few  weeks 
before,  these  men  had  been  strangers  to  us  ;  now  we  were  friends  forever. 
Long  we  looked  toward  the  shore,  even  after  their  boat  disappeared  among 
the  dhows  of  the  jetty  ;  after  the  stars  came  out  and  the  smoke-stack  and 
fragments  of  the  wreck,  so  rapidly  breaking  up,  were  no  longer  discernible  ; 
and  when  the  "Minerva"  had  turned  her  prow  westward  and  begun  her 
one-hundred-and-fifty-mile  run  to  Port  Said,  and  we  could  trace  only  the 
dim  outlines  of  the  city  upon  the  hill,  still  we  gazed  toward  the  land  of 
God's  peculiar  love,  and  with  heartfelt  salaams,  thanked  him  not  only  for 
what  it  had  been,  but  also,  and  more,  for  what  it  is  yet  to  be. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


HOMEWARD  THROUGH  ITALY,  FRANCE, 
AND  ENGLAND. 


UR  three  and  'one  half  days  whiled  away  at 
Port  Said  was  not  from  choice,  but 
we  put  in  our  time  profitably  in 
writing  and  in  the  companionship 
of  Dr.  Mabie,  of  the  Baptist 
Union,  and  his  traveling  associate, 
Dr.  Waterman,  whom  we  had  met 
in  Bombay,  again  in  Jerusalem,  and  with  whom  we  were  to  continue  our 
journey  to  New  York. 

When  it  was  announced  that  our  ship,  the  "  Ganges,"  had  entered  the 
canal,  we  were  also  informed  that  the  second-class  was  crowded,  and  that 
if  we  took  passage,  we  must  make  an  exchange  of  our  second-class  for  first- 
class  tickets  and  pay  three  pounds  extra.  We  preferred  this  to  waiting 
six  days  longer  for  the  next  ship,  although  we  had  to  occupy  the  post- 
office.  The  Duke  of  Cambridge,  with  his  suite,  and  several  lords  and 
ladies  wei;e  aboard,  together  with  a  large  number  of  persons  of  various 
vocations  and  avocations.  Captain  Alderton  kept  his  ship  in  first-class 
order. 

We  left  Port  Said  at  about  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  eleventh 
day  of  March,  and  finished  our  voyage  of  nine  hundred  and  thirty  miles 
early  in  the  forenoon  of  the  fourteenth.  One  day  the  mountains  of  Candia 
or  Crete,  and  another,  those  of  Greece  were  in  sight,  all  of  which  were 
covered  with  snow ;  then  we  passed  through  the  Ionian  Sea  and  the  Strait 
of  Otranto,  into  the  waters  of  the  Adriatic,  where,  in  the  midst  of  a  storm 
which  flooded  our  decks,  we  waited  through  the  last  part  of  the  night  for 

[221] 


222  IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

daybreak.     When  it  came,  we  started  again,  and  soon  reached  the  port  of 
Brindisi. 

There  was  little  to  wait  for  here,  except  to  pass  the  customs,  send 
some  of  our  baggage  in  bond  to  London,  and  get  aboard  the  train  ;  but 
this  was  not  so  easily  accomplished  as  might  be  imagined.  The  "back- 
shish  "  demands  of  the  Orient  are  bad  enough,  but  Italy  surpasses  in  this 
respect  every  place  that  we  have  visited  ;  they  charged  upon  us  singly, 
then  in  squads,  then  in  organized  companies.  We  determined  in  the  be- 
ginning to  let  their  suavity  go  de  bene  esse,  but  even  this  course  had  its 
cost,  for  when  we  did  not  hand  over  our  pocket-books  to  these  highway 
robbers,  they  seized  some  of  our  hand-luggage,  declaring  that  it  was 
heavier  than  allowable,  and  must  be  registered  ;  then  they  held  down  the 
sole-leather  trunk,  —  Mr.  Sandford's  pride, —  saying  that  it  was  not  in  condi- 
tion to  go.  He  left  it  in  the  hands  of  a  transfer-agent,  who  has  not  seen  fit 
to  forward  it  yet ;  probably  the  contents,  carefully  culled  from  Oriental 
shops,  have  been  handed  over  to  the  opera-singer  and  organ-grinder,  as 
fate  decreed. 

NAPLES. 

We  went  direct  to  Naples,  one  hundred  and  sixty-four  miles  from 
Brindisi.  The  way  was  through  sunny  Southern  Italy,  among  level  fields  of 
starting  grain,  orchards  of  peach-  and  almond-trees  in  full  bloom,  and 
orange-trees  golden  with  fruit;  and  across  the  Apennines,  deep-set  and 
somber. 

Even  in  Catholic  Italy  we  begin  to  feel  some  of  the  warmth  of  Occi- 
dental life,  —  the  ripple  of  the  sea  in  front  of  the  Royal  Hotel,  the  click 
of  hoofs  upon  the  pavements,  the  march  of  the  soldiers  down  the  hill  be- 
hind us,  the  stir  of  the  people  all  about  seemed  so  different  from  what  we 
had  seen  for  months.  Although  Italy  is  still  under  a  mighty  cloud  of  ec- 
clesiastical bigotry  and  superstition,  we  thank  God  that  the  light  of  His 
word  has  been  pouring  in  since  1870. 

Our  stay  was  necessarily  brief,  and  we  had  but  little  time  to  locate 
Puteoli,  where  Paul  stopped  on  his  way  to  Rome  ;  the  promontory  of 
Minerva,  with  the  island  of  Capri  opposite ;  Misenum  ;  Lake  Avernus 
in  an  extinct  volcano  not  far  away,  where,  among  gloomy  ravines  and  sun- 


HOMEWARD   THROUGH  ITALY,  FRANCE,  AND  ENGLAND.     223 

less  caverns,  the  Cimmerii  dwelt,  and  whence  ^Eneas,  led  by  the  Sibyl, 
passed  to  the  abodes  of  the  spirits  ("Odyssey,"  book  XI).  Climbing  a 
steep  hill  among  vines  and  lemon-orchards,  we  found  Virgil's  tomb  —  a 
plain  marble  block  under  a  stone  canopy.  The  spot  is  picturesque,  look- 
ing out  as  it  does  upon  the  city,  the  unresting  bay,  and  toward  Vesuvius, 
giving  vent  to  its  pent-up-fires,  with  the  ruins  of  Herculaneum  and 
Pompeii  near  its  base. 

No  one  should  fail  to  visit  the  public  library  and  museum  of  Naples. 
The  work  in  painting,  marble,  bronze,  terra-cotta,  glass,  gold  and  silver, 


ROME. 

representing  different  renowned  schools ;  rooms  of  Correggio  and  Raphael 
individuality ;  works  rescued  from  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii,  largely 
copied  by  artists  of  the  present  time,  are  worthy  of  days  of  careful  study. 
A  look  into  the  "Reserved  Cabinet"  reveals  very  forcibly  the  immorality 
of  some  past  ages. 

ROME. 

A  five  hours'  ride  in  the  train  brings  us  to  Rome.  The  way  is  through 
scenes  of  historic  interest;  we  passed  farms,  vineyards,  glens,  villages 
nestling  beside  rollicking  brooks ;  rugged  hills  crowned  with  castles  and 
monasteries  j  and  the  Apennines  on  either  side  of  us. 


224  IN  THE  PA  TH  OF  LIGHT. 

Rome,  the  old  city  of  the  old  gods  who  are  dead  and  always  have  been 
so,  has  some  repulsions,  but  many  attractions.  Who  can  describe  St. 
Peter's  and  the  Vatican  ?  Our  best  effort  would  be  but  a  failure.  It  is 
quite  a  journey  around  the  buildings,  and  a  longer  one  through  them. 
What  a  collection  the  Vatican  museum  has !  What  a  representation  of 
genius,  skill,  age,  value,  and  beauty!  And  what  for  ?  Halls  open  into 
halls  filled  with  statuary,  among  which  are  represented  the  rulers,  warriors, 
and  writers  of  ancient  Greece  and  Rome;  gods  and  goddesses,  and  mytho- 
logical heroes ;  the  Apollo  Belvidere,  at  once  strong  and  graceful,  the 
torso  of  Hercules,  which  Michael  Angelo  loved  to  move  his  hands  over 
after  he  was  blind  ;  the  famous  Laocoon  group  struggling  with  the  pithon, 
and  others  too  numerous  to  mention.  In  the  new  wing  are  the  magnifi- 
cent gifts  to  the  popes,  from  kings,  queens,  emperors,  and  presidents;  the 
jubilee  gifts  ;  ancient  relics  ;  candelabra  from  Napoleon  I  ;  the  basin 
from  which  Napoleon  III  was  christened ;  the  Vatican  manuscript ;  and 
other  treasures  of  great  value. 

Hall  after  hall  of  paintings  opens  into  numerous  other  halls.  The  sub- 
jects are  for  the  most  part  taken  from  Scripture;  among  them  the  work  of 
all  the  old  masters  is  represented.  With  us  this  magnificence  culminated 
in  the  Sistine  Chapel,  where  Michael  Angelo  covered  wall  and  ceiling  with 
most  interesting  incidents  of  Old  and  New  Testament  life,  and  placed  at 
one  end  his  wonderful  conception  of  the  Last  Judgment. 

St.  Peter's,  the  largest  church  in  the  world,  stands  upon  the  site  of 
Nero's  Circus  where  the  early  Christians  were  massacred,  and  over  the 
tomb  of  the  apostle  whose  name  it  bears.  The  Vatican  is  contiguous. 
This  basilica  is  six  hundred  and  nineteen  feet  long  upon  the  inside,  four 
hundred  and  forty-nine  feet  along  the  transepts  ;  the  nave  crosses  an  arch 
seventy-nine  feet  wide,  at  a  height  of  one  hundred  and  forty-eight  feet 
from  the  pavement  ;  while  from  the  ground  to  the  summit  of  the  cross  on 
the  cupola  it  is  four  hundred  and  seventy  feet,  ten  feet  more  than  the 
height  of  the  pyramid  Cheops  as  it  now  stands.  It  covers  a  space  of  eight 
acres,  and  fifty  thousand  people  can  find  standing-room  within  its  walls. 
Everything  within  is  upon  the  heroic  scale  ;  columns,  statues,  sepulchers, 
frescoes,  all  are  grand  in  proportion  and  elegant  in  detail.  The  statue  of 
St.  Peter  in  bronze,  with  uplifted  hand  and  extended  foot,  sits  as  it  has  for 


HOMEWARD   THROUGH  ITALY,  FRANCE,  AND  ENGLAND.     225 

fourteen  centuries,  the  great  toe  of  the  projecting  foot  being  worn  very 
much  by  the  lips  that  have  constantly  kissed  it. 

Let  the  churches  that  make  themselves  an  end  of  things  and  not  a 
means,  that  emulate  each  other  in  soft  cushions,  organs,  choirs,  and  spires 
visit  St.  Peter's,  look  upon  the  piles  of  money  lying  "  in  state,"  helping 
nobody;  and  they  may  get  a  better  idea  of  what  the  church  is  to 
accomplish. 

The  church  of  St.  John  the  Lateran,  though  smaller  and  of  different 
style  from  St.  Peter's,  impressed  me  almost  as  much.  Here  all  the  popes 


ST.  PETER'S — INTERIOR. 


have  been  crowned.  The  baptistry  in  which  Constantine  was  baptized 
interested  us,  also  the  Scala  Santa,  or  Holy  Steps,  which  were  brought 
from  Jerusalem,  and  said  to  be  the  stairs  over  whi-ch  Christ  ascended  to 
Pilate's  judgment  chamber.  Every  votary  goes  up  this  stairway  upon  his 
knees.  Martin  Luther  was  engaged  in  this  act  of  devotion  when  the 
words,  "The  just  shall  live  by  faith,"  came  to  his  remembrance;  and  he 
arose,  and  went  forth  to  champion  the  Reformation. 


220 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


How  much  it  meant  to  me  to  be  in  Rome, —  to  look  upon  the  yellow 
Tiber ;  the  Forum,  again  uncovered,  and  showing  where  Cicero  poured 
forth  his  eloquence  ;  the  Arch  of  Titus,  still  picturing  his  triumphal  pro- 


ST.  PAUL'S,  ROME  —  INTERIOR. 

cession,  holding  aloft  the  sacred  vessels  of  the  temple ;  the  Arch  of 
Constantine,  even  more  beautiful ;  the  Colosseum,  where  thousands  of 
Christians  were  martyred.  It  is  said  that  this  immense  amphitheater 
seated  eighty-seven  thousand  people,  and  that  it  would  contain  fifteen 
thousand  more. 

We  saw  the  Pantheon,  erected  B.  c.  27,  by  Agrippa  ;  the  tomb  of  the 
Scipios ;  the  Palatine  Hill;  the  Palace  of  the  Caesars;  the  Tarpeian  Rock; 
rode  out  the  Via  Appia  as  far  as  the  tomb  of  Caecilia  Metella,  where,  on 
this  March  day,  we  gathered  a  handful  of  English  violets  ;  passed  the 
Catacombs,  the  field  of  Mars,  the  old  wall  and  aqueduct;  looked  out  upon 
the  Sabine  Mountains,  the  Alban  Hills,  remembering  in  the  midst  of  all 
that  Rome  is  a  great  volume  of  history. 


HOMEWARD  THROUGH  ITALY,  FRANCE,  AND  ENGLAND.     227 

PARIS. 

We  spent  two  nights  and  one  day  on  the  way  to  Paris,  passing  through 
a  delightful  country.  Now  the  hillsides  are  covered  with  vintages,  now 
castles  and  villas  attract  the  attention,  now  glimpses  of  the  sea,  with  ter- 
races, walks,  arbors,  balconies,  and  beautiful  residences.  Pisa,  Genoa,  the 
native  place  of  Columbus,  and  Turin,  each  come  in  turn.  Between  Pisa 
and  Genoa  our  train  passed  through  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  tunnels, 
and  a  larger  number  on  this  side  of  Genoa,  but  the  great  tunnel  of  Mont 
Cenis  is  most  interesting  of  all;  it  takes  twenty-six  minutes  to  penetrate 
this  great  underground  gallery,  with  the  train  most  of  the  time  running  rap- 
idly. The  towering  Alps,  the  tumbling  waterfalls,  the  rock-roofed  houses, 
all  give  attractiveness  to  the  journey.  . 

The  few  days  spent  in  Paris  gave  us  only  a  glimpse  of  what  we  wanted 


ARC  DE  TRIOMFHE. 


to  study.  The  Arc  de  Triomphe  standing  at  the  top  of  the  Avenue  des 
Champs  Elysees,  was  erected  to  commemorate  the  campaign  of  the  Grand 
Army  in  Russia  ;  it  was  thirty  years  in  building,  and  cost  ten  million 


228  IN  THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

francs.  It  is  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  feet  high,  and  besides  having 
two  collossal  groups  in  full  relief,  concerning  one  of  which  I  wrote  in  my 
note-book,  "Dark,  hateful,  stirring,  strong,"  it  has  two  large  bas-reliefs;  a 
magnificent  frieze,  running  all  around  the  arch;  thirty  bucklers,  each  hav- 
ing the  name  of  a  victory  ;  the  names  of  three  hundred  and  eighty-four 
marshals,  generals,  and  lieutenant-generals;  and  smaller  bas-reliefs.  The 
corner-stone  was  laid  on  the  anniversary  of  Napoleon's  birthday,  Aug.  15, 
1806. 

The  Hjtel  des  Invalides,  which  stands  between  the  Esplanade  des  Inva- 
lides  and  the  Place  Vauban,  contains  in  the  crypt  of  one  of  its  churches, 
or  chapels,  the  remains  of  Napoleon  I.  Over  a  marble  balcony  we  looked 
down  upon  the  great  sarcophagus  of  Finland  polished  stone  —  a  monolith. 
On  the  Mosaic  pavement  are  inscribed  the  names  of  eight  victorious  bat- 
tles ;  while  twelve  figures  representing  victories  stand  against  the  surround- 
ing pillars,  with  palms  in  their  hands. 

Opposite  to  the  entrance,  upon  the  altar,  there  is  a  large  baldachin, 
resting  upon  four  marble  columns.  Upon  the  sides  of  a  bronze  door  are 
two  caryatides,  one  holding  the  imperial  scepter  and  crown,  and  the  other 
a  heraldic  globe.  The  white  marble  in  such  abundance  makes  the  place 
appear  cold  ;  perhaps  the  lavender  light  of  the  delicate  glass  adds  to  this, 
while  the  golden  reflection  from  the  dome  seems  glaring  instead  of  warming. 

Over  the  doorway  one  reads  these  words,  taken  from  the  emperor's  will : 
"Je  desire  que  me s  cendres  reposent  sur  les  bords  de  la  Seine,  au  milieu  de  ce 
peuple  Framais  que.  fat  tant  atme."  (I  desire  that  my  ashes  shall  repose  on 
the  banks  of  the  Seine,  among  the  French  people  that  I  have  loved  so 
much.) 

Notre  Dame  is  beautiful  without,  covered  with  reliefs,  statues,  and 
griffins;  and  elegant  within,  with  its  groined  arches  and  heavy  pillars, 
which  wheel  grandly  about  the  altar  under  the  light  of  magnificent  rose 
windows.  The  Church  of  the  Madeleine,  with  its  wonderful  relief  repre- 
senting the  last  Judgment,  placed  over  the  pillared  portico,  which  is 
lighted  only  from  the  top,  detained  our  hastening  feet  for  some  time,  but 
the  interior  is  somber. 

The  Pantheon,  where  the  statesmen  of  France  are  buried  ;  the  Louvre 
Galleries,  with  the  works  of  Titian,  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  Co'rreggio, 


HOMEWARD   THROUGH  ITALY,  FRANCE,  AND  ENGLAND.     229 


.Andrea  del  Sarto,  Van  Dyck,  Poussin,  Philippe  de  Champaigne,  Lorraine, 
Rubens  and  others,  where  the  "Venus  de  Milo  "  and  the  "St.  Michael 
and  the  Dragon"  by  Raphael  and  the  "Assumption  of  the  Virgin  "  by 
Murillo,  alone,  are  sufficient  to  hold  the  visitors  for  hours;  the  Place  de  la 
Concorde,  where  the  guillotine  stood  during  the  Reign  of  Terror  ;  the 
Eiffel  Tower,  from  the  top  of  which  a  view  is  had  for  nearly  one  hundred 
and  thirty  kilometers;1  the  Louvre  Palace ;  the  Church  of  St.  Germaine, 
whose  bells  gave  the  signal  for  the 
Massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew  (Aug. 
24,  1572), —  all  these  and  other  things 
deeply  interested  us. 

Not  all  our  time  in  Paris  was  spent 
in  sightseeing,  however;  a  little  Bap- 
tist Mission,  an  offshoot  of  the  Me 
Call  work,  received  us  cordially,  and 
welcomed  us  to  participation  in  the 
services  and  communion. 

ENGLAND. 

The  journey  of  two  hundred  miles 
from  Paris  to  London  was  delightful, 
except  that  portion  of  it  between 
Calais  and  Dover.  The  English 
Channel,  like  a  corkscrew,  not  only 
twists,  but  it  draws  the  cork.  The 
chalky  cliffs  of  Dover  were  hailed 
with  joy. 

The  Lord's  day  in  London  was 
profitably.spent.  In  the  morning  we  listened  to  Mr.  Spurgeon  in  a  simple 
but  powerful  sermon ;  the  tabernacle  was  crowded.  We  lunched  with 
Hon.  W.  S.  Caine,  M.  P.,  and  spoke  in  the  afternoon  at  the  mission  which 
he  supports.  In  the  evening  we  heard  Joseph  Parker  preach  at  the  City 
Temple  to  a  large  congregation,  on  the  forbearance  of  God. 

St.  Paul's  is  spacious,  but  not  so  grand  as  St.  Peters;  its  monuments  to 
dead  generals,  naval  officers,  and  writers  are  thought  by  some  to  add  no 

l  Eighty  miles. 


THE  PANTHEON. 


230 


IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


beauty  to  the  place.  The  Artists'  Corner  rivals  the  Poets'  Corner  of  West- 
minster. Westminster  Abbey  is  in  every  way  grand.  The  present  abbey 
is  at  least  nine  hundred  and  fifty  years  old.  William  the  Conqueror  was 


WARWICK  CASTLE. 

crowned  here,  and  since  that  time  all  the  English  sovereigns  have  received 
their  coronation,  and  many  of  them  their  burial,  in  this  grand  mausoleum. 
The  many  styles  of  architecture  and  the  elaborate  monuments  to  the  dead 
unite  in  a  unique  harmony  ;  the  fruits  of  genius,  wisdom,  passion,  and 
skill  find  their  counterpart  on  every  hand.  Here  is  the  famous  coronation 
chair,  in  which  so  many  sovereigns  have  been  crowned  ;  the  Scone  stone 
of  Scotland,  upon  which  Scotland's  rulers  were -crowned  before  England's 
were  also  her  own ;  the  magnificent  tombs  of  the  Henrys  ;  the  sarcophagi 
of  Mary  and  Elizabeth  ;  epitaphs  for  royalty,  greatness,  and  goodness, 
which  I  have  not  space  to  enumerate. 

The  Parliament  buildings  very  near  Westminster,  are  worthy  of  the 
great  country  whose  representatives  meet  there  to  make  her  laws.  Lon- 
don Tower,  erected  by  William  the  Conqueror,  as  early  as  1078,  and 


HOMEWARD  THROUGH  ITALY,  FRANCE,  AND  ENGLAND.     231 

occupied  as  a  palace  by  all  the  sovereigns  down  to  Charles  II,  is  still 
a  substantial  building.  In  this  enclosure  royalty  has  been  imprisoned  and 
met  death.  Here  Richard  and  Edward  were  murdered  by  their  uncle  ; 
the  two  queens,  Anne  Boleyn  and  Katherine  Howard,  were  beheaded  ; 
Elizabeth  was  imprisoned  ;  and  Henry  VIII  was  found  dead  in  his  bed. 
The  crown  jewels,  guarded  day  and  night,  the  royal  chapel  of  St.  John, 
the  tower  armory,  the  council  chamber,  ancient  firearms  and  captured 
cannon,  the  executioner's  axe  and  block,  halberds  and  pikes,  the  cloak 
worn  by  General  Wolfe  when  killed,  the  Duke  of  Wellington's  regimentals 
—  these  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  things  of  interest  in  this  historic  place. 
We  spent  one  night  at  Stratford-on-Avon,  stopping  at  the  Red  Horse 
Inn,  —  locally  called  "Red  'Orse;"  went  into  the  room  occupied  for  a  time 
by  Washington  Irving ;  then  visited  the  house  in  which  Shakespeare  was 


KEMLWORTH  CASTLE. 


born  ;  Ann  Hathaway's  Cottage,  where  the  poet  did  his  courting  ;  the  lit- 
tle church  where  he  is  buried,  and  which  has  a  tablet  over  his  resting-place 
bearing  these  words  :  — 


232 


IN    THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT. 


"  Good  friend,  for  Jesus'  sake  forbeare 
To  digg  the  dust  enclosed  heare. 
Bleaste  be  ye  man  yt  spares  thes  stones 
And  curst  be  he  yt  moves  my  bones." 

It  is  believed  that  Shakespeare  never  wrote  such  doggerel  ;  however, 
these  lines  have  doubtless  prevented  the  removal  of  his  dust  to 
Westminster  Abbey. 

A  visit  to  Warwick  Castle,  with  its  enchanting  grounds  —  also  on  the 
Avon  —  and  its  grim  Caesar's  Tower,  its  portcullis,  dungeon,  and  keep,  its 

suites  of  rooms,  elegant  in  furnishings, 
pictures,  and  armor,  its  great  hall,  from 
whose  windows  one  sees  the  Avon,  the 
old  and  new  bridge,  the  old  mill,  the 
trees  and  shrubs  of  the  park  ;  a  while  at 
Kenilworth,  beautiful  but  sad  in  its  ruin  ; 
a  short  -stay  at  Chester,  and  then  we 
went  on  to  Liverpool,  where  we  had  en- 
gaged passage  to  New  York  on  the1 
' '  Teutonic. "  We  walked  around  Chester 
upon  the  wall,  stopped  in  the  tower  from 
which  Charles  I  saw  his  army  defeated, 
got  a  glimpse  of  Hawarden,  eight  miles 
away  (the  summer  home  of  W.  E.  Glad- 
stone), then  visited  the  famous  "Gods 
Providence"  house.  They  tell  us  that 
in  1652  a  terrible  plague  visited  Chester, 
which  entered  every  house  but  this  one, 
which  was  occupied  by  some  very  devoted 
women.  The  words,  "  God's  providence 
is  mine  inheritance,"  were  placed  over  the  entrance  to  the  house,  and 
remain  there  still.  What  a  precious  motto  to  take  into  every  home  ! 
Chester  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  best  types  of  an  old  English  city. 

Liverpool  had  few  attractions  for  us  when  we  were  only  three  thousand 
miles  from  home,  and  we  needed  no  second  invitation  to  take  the  "  Snow- 
drop," in  which  we  were  to  steam  out  to  our  ocean  racer.  The  "  Teutonic  " 


GOD'S  PROVIDENCE  HOUSE.—  CHESTER. 


HOMEWARD   THROUGH  ITALY,  FRANCE,  AND  ENGLAND.     233 

is  a  magnificent  ship  of  ten  thousand  tons  burden.  Through  rough  seas, 
severe  storms,  dense  fogs,  she  pushed  her  way,  and  brought  us  in  sight  of 
"  Liberty  Enlightening  the  World  "  on  the  evening  of  the  first  day  of  April. 
It  was  a  welcome  vision.  The  next  morning  we  went  ashore,  feeling 
grateful  that  we  had  been  enabled  to  keep  our  promise  as  to  the  time  of 
returning. 

Just  six  months  before,  to  a  day,  we  had  started  out.  Since  then  we 
had  traveled  from  twenty-seven  to  twenty-nine  thousand  miles,  and  in 
spite  of  dangers  and  delays,  had  reached  home  at  the  appointed  time. 
All  the  way  God  had  been  with  us,  blessed  us,  and  permitted  us  to  tell  of 
his  blessings.  We  had  visited  lands  which  we  would  gladly  claim  for 
Christ ;  but  we  felt,  as  never  before,  to  claim  America  for  Christ.  Cer- 
tainly Christ  is  for  America  ;  there  is  no  land  under  the  sun  so  highly 
blessed  in  point  of  privilege  as  this  one.  Will  not  God  make  her  responsi- 
bility proportionate  ? 

The  hearty  greeting  of  friends  awaited  us  on  all  sides  as  with  unspeak- 
able joy  we  came  again  to  family,  parish,  and  that  particular  part  of 
mission  work  which  was  temporarily  laid  aside  for  a  loot  at  the  field. 
Sincerely  did  we  thank  God  for  his  care  for  us  and  for  those  left  behind 
during  our  absence  ;  for  the  prayers  daily  offered  for  us  ;  for  the  larger 
outlook  permitted  to  us  "  in  the  path  of  light  around  the  world  ; "  and  sin- 
cerely did  we  pray  that  we  might  do  more  for  those  in  heathenism  than 
ever  before  ;  and  this  continues  to  be  our  prayer. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


FINALLY. 


S  we  have  made  observations  on 
leaving  nearly  all  the  Oriental 
countries,  it  will  only  be  neces- 
sary to  say  a  few  words  in  conclusion. 

The  most  promising  aspect  of  the  work  of 

the  Christian  church  to-day  is  her  manifest  interest  in  missions.  Her 
previou?  work  has  been  largely  preparatory  for  this  ;  somtimes  we 
have  wondered  that  the  world  has  not  been  evangelized  before,  but  we 
may  well  consider  whether  the  time  had  fully  come  for  this  great  move- 
ment. It  is  evidently  true  that  the  time  has  now  come,  and  that  ever) 
church  in  Christendom  is  called  upon  to  take  its  place  in  the  onmoving 
ranks,  and  help  to  carry  the  gospel  to  every  creature.  The  church  is 
coming  to  see  that  no  longer  is  she  the  end  of  grace,  but  that  she  must 
be  the  means  of  diffusing  it. 

The  reluctance  with  which  the  multitudes  in  Christian  lands  hear  and 
accept  the  gospel,  the  barrenness  and  decay  of  those  churches  lacking  the 
[234! 


FIN  ALL  Y.  235 

missionary  spirit ;  the  substitution  of  criticism  and  doubt  for  faith  in 
God's  word,  even  by  religious  teachers  in  Christian  pulpits,  with  many 
other  things,  indicate  that  the  prime  work  of  the  church  to-day  is  to  send 
the  gospel  to  the  heathen.  Doors  have  been  opening,  and  more  has  been 
accomplished  during  the  present  century  than  in  all  previous  centuries, 
since  the  days  of  the  apostles. 

THE  SITUATION. 

Between  twelve  and  fourteen  million  dollars  are  annually  devoted  to  for- 
eign mission  work  by  the  Christian  church  ;  280  societies  are  organized  and 
engaged  ;  nearly  9000  missionaries  have  gone  into  the  field,  and  these  are 
aided  by  50,000  native  preachers,  teachers,  and  workers;  probably  10,- 
000,000  natives  are  under  the  direct  influence  of  the  gospel  ;  and  from 
3,000,000  to  5,000,000  have  been  converted  to  Christ  from  heathenism, 
Mohammedanism,  and  Judaism.  The  Scriptures  have  been  translated  into 
about  225  different  languages. 

Israel  is  fast  returning  to  Palestine;  and  the  increasing  fertility  of  the 
soil,  the  introduction  of  public  conveniences,  and  the  indifference  of  the 
Turkish  government  are  all  inviting  their  return.  The  Hebrew  New  Testa- 
ment is  being  circulated,  and  is  having  its  effect  among  them. 

The  transformation  of  some  of  the  Pacific  islands,  some  portions  of 
Africa,  India,  especially  in  the  north,  and  among  the  Telugus,  also  of 
localities  in  central  China,  has  been  a  marvel  of  God's  grace.  All  this  is 
hopeful,  but  we  have  to  face  a  reality  which  is  darker. 

Mohammedanism,  so  cold,  so  barren,  so  bitter  toward  Christianity, 
has  an  iron  grip  upon  Turkey,  Palestine,  and  Egypt.  Central  Africa  has  at 
least  one  hundred  million  inhabitants,  the  most  of  whom  have  never  been 
brought  into  contact  with  Christianity.  India  is  wonderfully  quickened 
under  the  hand  of  the  missionary,  aided  by  the  English  government,  but 
she  is  still  under  the  heel  of  caste,  and  the  nameless  pollutions  of  idolatry. 
China's  four  hundred  millions  have  been  moved  only  slightly,  so  far,  but 
without  doubt  God  intends  through  her  present  struggle  with  Japan  to 
shake  open  her  bolted  doors,  and  set  her  prisoners  free  as  he  freed  Paul 
and  Silas  from  their  prison.  Up  to  the  time  of  her  recent  treaty,  Japan 
has  allowed  the  missionary  to  preach  in  none  but  open  ports  ;  and  the 


236  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

most  that  Christianity  can  claim  of  her  forty  million  people  is  forty  thou- 
sand. Her  future  career,  and  that  of  little  Korea  also,  depends  largely 
upon  how  graciously  she  is  able  to  wear  her  laurels  of  victory. 

During  the  time  that  from  three  to  five  million  have  been  won  from 
heathenism,  their  ranks  have  been  increased  by  two  hundred  million. 
Christian  nations  have  prospered  in  the  mean  time,  yet  sin  and  worldliness 
have  increased  in  proportion  to  the  increase  in  wealth  and  power. 

OUR  DUTY. 

It  is  plainly  our  duty  to  carry  out  the  injunction  of  Jesus,  "Go  ye 
therefore,  and  teach  all  nations."  Both  the  individual,  and  the  church, 
would  like  to  claim  the  promise  attached  to  that  command  ;  but  they 
are  joined  together,  and  he  who  disobeys  the  command  has  no  claim  upon 
the  promise.  It  is  evident  to  the  careful  observer  that  many  individuals 
and  churches  are  dying  spiritually  ;  that  some  are  already  dead,  because 
they  are  not  obeying  this  command.  Christ  is  not  with  them  ;  the  temple 
once  dedicated  to  him  is  deserted,  —  it  is  no  longer  used  for  God,  but  for 
selfish  purposes, —  and  Christ  will  say  to  such,  as  he  said  to  the  rejecting 
Jews  of  the  temple  once  called  "the  house  of  God,'' — "  Your  house  is  left 
unto  you  desolate." 

There  are  three  ways  in  which  we  can  go  to  labor  for  those  in  foreign 
lands : — 

i.  We  can  go  personally.  All  through  the  ages  God  has  worked 
through  individuals  who  have  yielded  themselves  to  him  for  service.  In 
multitudes  of  lives  He  has  been  thus  manifest,  and  at  work  in  the  flesh. 
In  these  days  we  must  believe  that  "many  are  called,"  and  that  if  God 
could  place  people  where  he  wants  them,  instead  of  having  nine  thousand 
in  the  foreign  field,  he  would  have  at  least  one  hundred  thousand  ;  and  then 
there  would  be  fourteen  thousand  for  each  parish.  In  the  United  States, 
were  its  eighty  thousand  ministers  settled  over  equally  divided  parishes, 
each  one  would  have  only  seven  hundred  and  fifty  people  to  care  for. 

Many  people  expect  "some  one"  to  go,  and  they  ask  for  volunteers 
when  they  would  not  be  willing  to  go  themselves  or  to  have  their  children 
go.  I  have  been  told  of  a  minister  who  pleaded  eloquently  at  one  time  for 
missionaries,  and  said  he  felt  that  somebody  in  his  audience  ought  to  vol- 


FINALLY.  237 

unteer.  At  length  a  young  lady  arose  and  walked  slowly  toward  the 
preacher;  saying,  "I  will  go."  He  turned  pale,  and  with  emotion  said, 
"Ah — I  —  did  not  mean  you,  my  child."  It  was  not  somebody  else's 
child  !  As  faithful  stewards,  we  must  hold  our  own  and  ourselves  in  readi- 
ness to  respond  to  God's  call.  Such  a  lack  of  consecration  as  that  just 
noticed  hinders  the  foreign  work,  and  brings  death  to  the  work  at  home,  as 
we  have  all  observed  in  individual  cases. 

2.  We  can  go  in  our  money.  Evidently  God  does  not  want  everybody 
to  go  personally;  some  must  "stay  by  the  stuff"  —  they  must  support 
those  who  do  go.  The  means  are  abundant.  I  have  no  right  to  presume 
how  much  of  the  four  hundred  million  dollars  spent  annually  in  the  United 
States  for  amusements,  and  of  the  one  billion  five  hundred  million  dollars 
spent  for  liquor  and  tobacco,  is  laid  upon  this  altar  of  Moloch  by  Chris- 
tians ;  but  we  are  told  that  the  estimated  wealth  of  America's  church 
members  is  thirteen  billion  dollars,  and  that  the  actual  annual  increase  of 
their  money  over  all  living  expenses  is  five  hundred  million  dollars.  It 
is  not  because  Christians  have  not  the  means,  that  no  more  than  six  mill- 
ion dollars  go  from  our  churches  annually  for  the  support  of  foreign  mis- 
sions ;  there  is  no  way  to  account  for  what  is  so  foreign  to  the  spirit  of  our 
Master,  but  on  the  ground  of  selfishness  and  disloyalty.  For  America  to 
support  fifty  thousand  missionaries,  it  would  require  —  not  sacrifice,  but 
honesty  in  stewardship. 

There  are  different  ways  of  giving, —  the  careless  way,  the  impulsive 
way,  the  lazy  way  ;  but  the  best  way  is  the  systematic  way.  The  Jews 
were  required  to  devote  a  tenth  of  their  income  unto  the  Lord  ;  then  they 
made  special  thank-offerings  for  restoration  from  sickness,  for  the  birth  of 
a  child,  and  when  sin  had  been  committed,  so  that  their  gifts  frequently 
amounted  to  one  fifth  of  their  income.  In  the  twenty-seventh  chapter  of 
Leviticus  we  are  told  that  all  the  tithe  of  the  land,  of  seed,  fruit,  and  flocks, 
should  be  holy  unto  the  Lord.  In  the  third  chapter  of  Malachi  we  are 
shown  that  spiritual  blessings  are  dependent  upon  faithful  tithing.  Paul 
says  in  his  epistle  to  the  Corinthians.  "  Upon  the  first  day  of  the  week,  let 
every  one  of  you  lay  by  him  in  store  as  God  hath  prospered  him."  He 
further  declares  that  "he  that  soweth  sparingly,  shall  reap  also  sparingly; 
and  he  which  soweth  bountifully,  shall  reap  also  bountifully  ;  "  and  that 


238  IN   THE  PATH  OF  LIGHT. 

"  God  loveth  a  cheerful  giver."  Who  can  consider  the  faithful  proverb, 
"  There  is  that  scattereth,  and  yet  increaseth  ;  and  there  is  that  withholdeth 
more  than  is  meet,  but  it  tendeth  to  poverty,"  without  determining  that  he 
must  be  a  faithful  steward  over  what  God  has  intrusted  to  him  ?  One 
church  in  Germany  is  supporting  one  hundred  and  fifty  workers  in  the  field. 
Do  not  other  churches  hear  the  injunction,  "Go  thou  and  do  likewise?" 

3.  We  can  go  in  our  prayers.  Let  not  the  efficiency  of  prayer  be  over- 
looked,—  the  prayer  of  faith,  the  outbreaking  of  what  God  has  breathed 
into  the  soul,  accompanied  with  a  personal  claim  for  the  answer.  The 
life  of  God's  people  all  through  their  history  has  been  bound  to  him  by 
communion  and  .prayer.  Jesus  taught  his  disciples  to  pray,  and  said,  "All 
things  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in  prayer,  believing,  ye  shall  receive."  In 
answer  to  prayer,  the  hungry  have  been  fed  ;  obstacles  have  been  removed, 
souls  have  been  touched  by  God  that  the  words  of  man  could  not  reach; 
laborers  have  been  raised  up  and  sent  forth  ;  and  work,  thousands  of  miles 
from  the  suppliant,  has  been  blessed.  I  might  relate  many  incidents 
which  have  come  under  my  observation  and  into  my  own  experience  to 
prove  this.  I  will  venture  to  speak  of  one. 

It  was  laid  upon  my  heart  to  pray  for  a  young  man  whom  I  had  never 
seen,  and  who  lived  some  miles  away.  At  first  my  earnest,  unselfish  desire 
went  out  to  God  ;  then  I  was  led  to  claim  the  soul,  and  in  quiet  assurance, 
every  day  to  remind  God  of  his  promise.  One  day  when  holding  before 
the  throne  the  subjects  of  my  prayers,  on  coming  to  this  one  I  could  no 
longer  remind  God  of  his  promise,  but  was  led  to  rejoice  in  the  accom- 
plished work  instead.  In  a  short  time  word  came  that  on  that  day  of  con- 
scious victory,  the  saving  work  was  done.  That  young  man  went  into  the 
Master's  service  at  once,  and  has  led  many  souls  into  the  fold. 

The  nearest  way  to  those  separated  from  us  is  through  God.  When 
the  God  who  touches  us  touches  them,  we  are  together.  God,  who  claims 
us  as  his  servants,  is  just  as  willing  to  be  our  servant.  Thus  opportunity  is 
not  lessened  by  distance  or  difficulties;  it  is  equally  adapted  to  work  for 
those  far  from  or  near  to  us.  Jesus  said,  "Ask  of  me,  and  I  will  give  thee 
the  heathen  for  thine  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for 
thy  possession."  If  we  cannot  go  personally;  if  we  have  little  or  no 
money  to  devote  to  this  work,  we  can  pray  for  the  heathen,  for  the  la- 


FIN  ALL  Y.  239 

borers,  and  thus  do  much  —  God   only  knows  how  much  —  to  make  the 
work  a  success,  and  claim  the  promise  of  the  Master — Lo,  I  am  with  you 

alway. 

TWO  FACTS. 

i.  To  carry  forward  mission  work  most  successfully,  we  must  have  a 
correct  idea  of  God's  plans  for  the  evangelization  of  this  world  as  set  forth 
in  the  Scriptures  ;  furthermore,  we  must  recognize  the  efficiency  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Those  who  have  done  most  in  lifting  men  out  of  sin  have 
done  it  through  fidelity  to  God's  word  ;  positive  convictions  induced  by 
the  truth  have  made  positive  reforms.  In  proportion  as  the  Scriptures 
are  doubted,  questioned,  and  mutilated,  the  real  work  of  saving  men  is 
hindered. 

We  expect  our  missionaries  to  be  eminently  successful,  and  to  surpass 
the  home  workers  ;  but  the  stream  cannot  rise  higher  than  its  source ;  the 
home  church  is  the  source.  The  spirit,  expectations,  and  faith  of  the  home 
church  characterize  every  mission  in  foreign  lands.  If  the  home  church  is 
to  have  positive,  soul-winning  missions, —  missions  of  large  faith  and  large 
works, —  she  must  embody  these  characteristics  in  herself. 

Again,  if  we  believe  that  the  world  is  to  be  converted  in  this  dispensa- 
tion through  the  work  of  the  church,  we  shall  do  very  differently  from  what 
we  shall  if  we  believe  that  our  work  is  to  publish  the  gospel  to  all  nations 
as  soon  as  possible,  that  Christ  may  gather  out  of  them  his  elect,  and  thus 
the  way  be  prepared  for  him  to  come  and  rebuild  the  tabernacle  of  David. 
If  we  accept  the  former  idea,  we  shall  put  large  means  into  educational 
institutions,  and  be  quite  content  with  seed-sowing.  If  we  accept  the 
latter,  we  shall  turn  our  attention  to  reaching  the  whole  world  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  leave  the  Holy  Spirit  to  indicate  what  next. 

I  do  not  find  it  stated  anywhere  in  God's  word  that  the  church  has  as- 
signed to  her  the  task  of  converting  the  world  in  this  dispensation.  Never- 
theless, while  I  do  not  find  that  the  church  is  to  bring  the  whole  world  to 
Christ,  I  do  find  that  she  is  to  carry  Christ  to  the  whole  world, —  purposes 
widely  different,  and  which  must  induce  processes  differing  as  widely. 
Jesus  says:  "And  this  gospel  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  preached  in  all  the 
world  for  a  witness  unto  all  nations  ;  and  then  shall  the  end  come."  It  is 
Jesus  who  says  that  this  preaching  is  "for  a  witness." 


240  IN   THE  PATH   OF  LIGHT, 

We  believe  in  the  conversion  of  the  world  ;  we  know  that  "  it  shall  come 
to  pass  in  the  last  days,  that  the  mountain  of  the  Lord's  house  shall  be  es- 
tablished in  the  top  of  the  mountains,  and  shall  be  exalted  above  the  hills  ; 
and  all  nations  shall  flow  unto  it."  B'ut  "Jerusalem  shall  be  trodden  down 
of  the  Gentiles  until  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  be  fulfilled  ;"  and  "after  this 
I  will  return  and  build  again  the  tabernacle  of  David  which  is  fallen  down  ; 
and  I  will  build  again  the  ruins  thereof."  Many  other  passages  might  be 
cited  which,  together  with  these  of  the  prophet  Christ,  and  the  apostle 
James,  lead  us  to  conclude  that'at  the  end  of  this  dispensation  Christ  will 
come  personally  to  inaugurate  and  consummate  his  universal  reign ;  and 
that  for  this  end  a  witnessing  people  must  be  gathered  out  of  all  nations 
to  become  avenues  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

2.  We  must  honor  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  is  the  power  that  has  called 
forth,  sustained,  and  directed  the  mission  enterprise.  The  pioneer  mis- 
sionaries had  no  society  to  call  them  out  and  support  them,  no  secretaries 
to  connect  the  home  and  foreign  field ;  their  convictions  came  very 
directly  from  God.  It  was  the  Holy  Spirit  that  called  Jonah,  and  blessed 
his  work  in  a  wonderful  manner  after  he  went  to  Nineveh.  It  was  the 
Holy  Spirit  who  represented  to  Paul  the  man  of  Macedonia,  saying, 
"Come  over  and  help  us."  When  Carey  announced  his  convictions  to 
become  a  missionary,  he  was  told  to  sit  down  ;  that  if  God  wanted  the 
heathen  converted,  he  would  find  the  way  to  do  it.  Some  did  not  realize 
that  this  man  was  one  of  God's  ways.  William  Milne  was  twice  refused 
by  examining  boards,  but  was  led  of  the  Spirit  to  go. to  China  as  a  serv- 
ant ;  and  when  there,  became  one  of  the  most  efficient  missionaries  of  his 
time. 

The  Holy  Spirit  has  closed  some  avenues  and  opened  larger  ones  in 
this  work.  Carey  was  stirred  to  mission  work,  with  Tahiti  as  his  prospect- 
ive field,  but  the  Holy  Spirit  led  him  to  India.  Livingstone  studied  to  be 
u  medical  missionary  to  China,  but  the  Holy  Spirit  led  him  to  Africa. 
Judson  was  largely  the  occasion  of  the  organization  pf  the  American 
Board,  the  first  society  of  missions  organized  in  America  ;  but  on  his 
way  to  India  his  views  upon  the  subject  of  baptism  changed,  and  for 
two  years  he  relied  upon  God  for  support.  When  these  facts  became 
known  in  this  country,  the  Baptist  Union  was  organized,  and  undertook 


FIN  ALL  Y.  241 

his  support.  Both  societies  have  a  grand  record.  Judson  started  out  for 
India,  but  was  driven  out,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  led  him  to  Burmah.  He 
was  Burmah's  pioneer  missionary,  and  to-day  there  are  more  than  thirty 
thousand  Christians  in  that  land,  while  many  more  have  gone  to  their 
reward.  Many  other  examples  as  remarkable  as  these  might  be  mentioned 
where,  when  doors  were  closed,  the  Spirit  has  opened  others  wide. 

While  throughout  the  century  the  fulfillment  of  the  promise,  "  Lo,  I  am 
with  you  alway,"  has  been  verified,  there  are  many  instances  where  God's 
presence  has  been  wonderfully  marked,  and  where  "the  Holy  Ghost  fell 
on  all  them  which  heard  the  word."  Such  instances  can  be  cited  in  the 
work  of  the  Moravians,  also  among  the  Telugus,  in  the  north  of  India,  in 
Burmah,  Africa,  the  Pacific  islands,  and  even  in  China.  It  is  a  great  thing 
for  the  bride  to  say,  "  Come  :  "  but  when  "the  Spirit  and  the  bride  say, 
Come,"  it  is  the  strongest  invitation  that  can  be  given. 

Now  "the  Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  Come.  And  let  him  that  heareth 
say,  Come.  And  let  him  that  is  athirst  come.  And  whosoever  will,  let 
him  take  the  water  of  life  freely.1'  Let  the  Spirit  and  the  bride  go 
forth  together,  giving  this  invitation.  Let  it  sound  from  the  highest 
mountain  tops  and  be  echoed  from  the  lowest  valleys.  Let  it  penetrate  the 
densest  jungles,  and  traverse  the  widest  seas.  Let  it  hasten  to  the  thronged 
cities,  and  fly  across  the  arid  deserts.  Let  it  go  quickly  to  every  corner 
of  the  earth  where  man  is  found,  for  He  has  said,  "Behold,  I  come 
quickly  ;  and  my  reward  is  with  me,  to  give  every  man  according  as  his 
work  shall  be." 


INDEX. 


PAGE. 

Aboukir  Bay 168 

Abraham 206 

Aden 145 

Ager,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Geo 104 

Agra 131 

Aitken,  Benj 92 

His  estimate  of  Missions 136 

Ajalon 184 

Akra,  hill 191 

Alexandria 164 

Allen,  President  of  China 65 

American  Board 71 

Ancestral  Worship   76 

Anniversaries,  Free  Baptist 14 

Anglo- Chinese  College 65 

Apostles'  Fountain 208 

Arabia 148 

Arabian  Sea 144 

Arigato 33 

Arnott,  Miss  Walker 181 

Asahel 203 

Asakusa   36 

Ashdod 184 

Askelon 184 

Assad  Jamal 207 

Auburn  Church II 

Austin,  Rev.  Seaman's  Mission 31 

Avernus  Lake 222 

Bacheler,  "  Auntie  " 122 

Bacheler,  Mrs.  E.  C 128 


PAGE. 

Bacheler,  Dr.  Harry 114 

Bacheler,  Mrs.  Harry 125 

Bacheler,  Dr.  Mary 123 

Bacheler,  Dr.  O.  R 1 18,  123 

Backshish. 127,'  159,  189,  222 

Balasore 106 

Ballad,  T.  J 39 

Bashan,  Mountains  of 209 

Bazaar  preaching 123 

Beck,  John ,. 49 

Beeroth 191 

Beggars 58,  189 

Belgic 24 

Benares 131 

Bengal ... .    95,  98 

Bennett,  Rev.,  of  Japan 32 

Ben-Oliel,  Rev.  A 188,  195 

Bethany 192 

Bethel 214 

Beth-Horons 213 

Bethlehem 201 

Bezetha,  hill 191 

Bhimpore 1 20 

Bhudruck 104 

Bible  Society 63 

Bitter  Lakes 148 

Elaine,  Hon.  J.  G 179 

Bombay   132 

Bonnell,  Prof.,  of  China 65 

Booth,  Prof.,  of  Japan 31 

Botanical  Gardens  of  Calcutta 94 

[243] 


244 


INDEX. 


Boulak  Museum 160 

Boyer,  Rev.  A.  B 108,  122 

Boyer,  Mrs.  C.  1 1 1 1 

Boy's  High  School,  Balasore  112 

Brasier 208,  2IO 

Brindisi 222 

Britton,  Missionary  Home 29 

Brokaw,  Miss,  of  Japan 38 

Brown,  Rev.  F.  W 99,  130 

Brugsch,  Herr 162 

Buckan,  Mr.,  of  Yokohama 31 

Burkholder,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  T.  W 120 

Csesarea 184 

Caiaphas's  Houses 198,  202 

Caine,  Hon.  W.  S 94,  229 

Cairo  ......'. , 151 

Calcutta 91 

Candia,  Mountains  of . . . . ; 221 

Canton  68 

Capri 222 

Captain  Alderton   221 

Cawnpore 131 

Chandbali 96 

Chandra  Nila's  conversion 126 

Cheops,  Pyramid  of   153,  158 

Cherith  Brook 209,  212 

Chicago 15 

Chinese  Religious  Tract  Society 65 

Christian  Alliance 14,  84,  201 

Christmas  on  the  Sea 89 

Chrysanthemums 37 

Chufu 159 

Church  Missionary  Society 63,  162 

Church  of  St.  James 199 

Church  of  the  Nativity 204. 

Cleopatra,  165,  Her  Tomb 1 66 

Clough,  Dr.  J.  E 140 

Cobras 119 

Coffins  in  China 58 

Cogdal,  Miss,  of  China 63 

Coldren,  Rev.  M.  J 100,  102 


Coleman,  Rev.  James 98 

Colenso,  Bishop 49 

Colonies,  England's 68 

Colosseum     226 

Confucius 70,  75 

Conklin,  Rev.  and  Mrs 92 

Constantine 146 

Convents  in  Palestine 213,  215 

Cook,  Thomas  and  Son     153 

Coombs,  Miss  L.  C 108 

Cradle  of  Christ 196 

Crawford,  Lavina 114 

Crosby,  Miss,  of  Japan 31 

Crusaders 181,  183,  186 

Custom-house,  Yokohama 29 

Cyclamen  of  Palestine 217 

Dagon,  god 184 

Daibutsu 35,  38 

Damascus 205 

Damascus  Gate .'....  193 

Damietta,  Nile  mouth  of .  164 

Danforth,  Mr.  A.  W 52 

Dantoon 1 18 

Darjiling 131 

David's  Tomb. 198 

Dead  Sea 209 

Delhi 131 

Denver v 19 

Donkeys  and  donkey  drivers,  Egypt  ...  150 

Doremus  Mission 94 

Drummond,  Prof 49 

Duke  of  Cambridge 221 

Dung  Gate 194 

Dunn,  Miss,  of  Jerusalem 201 

Durga 93 

Durga-ma's  death 125 

Earnst,  Miss  Dr.,  Calcutta 94 

Easton,  Miss,  Calcutta 94 

Ebal 214 

Eden  of  Ezekiel 146 


INDEX. 


245 


Egede,  Hans 49 

Egypt 144 

Eiffel  Tower 229 

El-Aksa,  Mosque  of 190,  196 

El-Birch 213 

Eli 214 

Elisha's  Fountain. 212 

El-Khalil 206 

Emmons,  Mrs.  E 66 

English  Methodists 71 

Eshcol,  Valley  of 206 

Evangelization  of  Japan 48 

Evans,  Mr.,  of  Shanghai 60 

Example  and  word 139 

Fairport,  N.  Y 15 

Farnham,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  M.  \V.  . .  .53,  66 

Field  of  Achor 212 

Frank  Mountain 191 

Free  Baptist  Mission 98 

Fujiyama 3° 

Gardiner,  Miss,  of  Calcutta 94 

Gath 184 

Gaza 184,  205 

Gehenna 202 

Geneffeh  hills 148 

General  Baptists 98 

Gerizim 214 

Gethsemane : .  190 

Gezer 185 

Gibeah  of  Saul 191 

Gihon 201 

Gilead 209,  214 

Girhy,  Suleiman 174,  177 

God's  Providence  House,  Chester 232 

Golden  Gate 194 

Goshen,  Land  of 15 ' 

Graves,  Dr.,  of  China 71 

Gray,  Prof.,  of  China 65 

Grayhiel,  Miss  Mary 145,  170 

Grecr.lce.  R.  S.  .                          79 


Griffin,  Miss  Mabel  L 125 

Griffin,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Z.  F 108 

Guise,  Mr.,  of  India 106 

Hachiman,  Temple  of 34 

Hallam,  Rev.  and  Mrs 102,    126 

Heilpern,  Bernhard 178 

Henderson,  Geo.  S 92,    125 

Hepburn,  Rev.  J.  C 31 

Herculaneum 223 

Hermon,  mountain 214 

Herring,  Rev.,  of  China 65 

Hill,  Prof.,  of  China 65 

Hill  of  Evil  Counsel 191,  202 

Hippicus 191 

Holy  Fire 201 

Holy  Sepulcher,  Church  of 191,   199 

Holy  Spirit,  work  of 122,    138 

Holy  Spirit  in  Missions 240 

Hommoko 38 

Hong-Kong , 67 

Hook,  Miss,  of  India 94 

Hooper,  Miss  Jessie 113 

Hotel  des  Invalides 228 

House  Boats,  Canton 7° 

Hume,  Rev.  E.  S 145 

Hutchins,  Rev.  Elias 119 

Hyogo 39 

Indian  Beggars 127 

Inland  Sea 40 

Inouye-san. 38 

Intoxicants 13 

Ismailia .149 

Jaffa 180,  219 

Jaffa  Gate 191 

Jagurnath 98 

James,  Miss,  missionary  to  Palestine  ...  170 

Japan,  Christians  in 236 

Japanese  diplomacy 46 

Jellasore 113 

lena,  Rev.  Rom IOO 


246 


INDEX, 


Jerusalem 187 

Johns,  Rev.  Griffith 63 

Johore 82 

Jordan,  River  of 211 

Joseph's  New  Tomb 188 

Juggler,  Chinese 59 

Julius  Caesar 165 

Kali-Ghat 92 

Kalkilieh 219 

Kamakura 34 

Kenilworth  Castle 232 

Kensett,  Rev.  W 82 

Kidron 187,  189,  197 

Kimball,  Miss,  of  Yokohama 31 

Kimono 33 

Kirjath-Jearim 185 

Kobe 38 

Kolonieh 185 

Kyoto 39 

Lai  Bazaar 92,    125 

Lambuth,  Rev.,  of  Japan 39 

Lawrence,  Mrs.  F 128 

Lawson,  Rev. ,  of  Japan 39 

Lazarus,  Tomb  of 192 

Lebonah 214 

Lesseps,  M.  de 148 

Lewis,  Mr.  W.  J 64 

Loehr,  Prof.,  of  China 65 

London  Missionary  Soc .65,   71 

Louvre  Galleries 228 

Lucknow 131 

Ludlow,  Rev.,  of  Japan 39 

Lydda 184 

Mabie,  Dr.  H.  C 133,  221 

Machaerus 209,  217 

Machpelah' 206 

Madeleine,  Church  of 228 

Mahmudiyeh 166 

Malabar  Hill,  Bombay 133 

Mamelukes,  last  of 155 

Manchooria 75 


Mareotis,  Lake 166 

Manette  M 162 

Mariner's  Church 22 

Mark  Antony 1 65 

Marshall  Pass 20 

Martin  Luther , 225 

Mary  and  Martha,  house  of 192 

Maxwell,  Mrs.  E.  B 145 

Max  Unger,  Miss 1 70 

Me  Gowan,  Mrs.  Katie. 66 

Mecca 149,  1 54 

Medals  of  honor 1 79 

Medhurst,  Dr.,  of  China 65 

Menkaoora 159 

Merenptah 161 

Methodist  Missions  in  China 63 

Midnapore 121 

Mikado 47 

Miner,  Rev.  M.  C 95 

Misenum 222 

Mission,    Free    Baptist   in   Bengal   and 

Orissa 98 

Results 137 

Evangelization  and  education 137 

Baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit 138 

Efficiency  of  the  home  church 138 

Working  from  a  center,  and  duty  to 

Christianize 141 

Native  Agencies  and  Persecution. ...    142 

Mizpah 1 86 

Moab,  Mountains  of 191 

Mocha  Coffee 146 

Mohammed  Ali,  Mosque  of 155 

"  "     Tomb  of 156 

Mohammedanism 163,  235 

Mohammedans  of  Bombay 133 

Mohammedan  University 154 

Mont  Cenis  Tunnel 227 

Moore,  Miss  Anna 63,  66 

Morrison,  William 71 

Mount  Zion 187,191 

Moussa,  Shukri 178,  220 

Muirhead,  Rev.,  of  China 65 


fNDEX. 


247 


Nabulus 215 

Nagasaki 42 

Naomi 2O2 

Naples 222 

Napoleon  in  Palestine 181 

Narayanghur 1 18 

Native  Christian  Workers 77 

Nayak,  Paul 115 

Nebo 209 

Neby-Samwil 186 

Neeld,  Rev.  F.  L 145 

Nichols,  Capt 95 

Night  in  native  guest  chamber 218 

Nile 148,    152,   156 

Nilometer  at  Cairo 15? 

Nob 191 

North,  Miss,  of  China 69 

Northern  Presbyterians. 71 

Notre  Dame 228 

Noyes,  Rev.  Eli 98 

Obadiah's  Tomb .-..    217 

Obi 33 

Olives,  Mount  of 189,  195 

Omar,  Mosque  of   190,  193 

Orissa 95 

Osborne,  Mrs.  May    66 

Otranto,  Strait  of 221 

Palanquin 5^ 

Paper,  uses  in  Japan 32 

Pappenberg 42 

Paris 227 

Parker,  Rev.  Joseph 229 

Parsees  of  Bombay 133 

Penang 86 

Penticost,  Dr.,  in  India 93 

Perim,  Island  of 146 

Perry,  Commodore 49 

Persecution  in  Japan 42 

Persecution  in  Madras,  Hyderabad,  etc.   143 

Phillips,  Dr.,  of  China 73 

Phillips,  Rev.  J.,  of  India 98>  "7 

Phillips,  Dr.  J.  L 101,   126 

Phillips,  Mrs.  M.  E 128 

Phillips,  Dr.  Nellie 107 

Pierson,  Mrs.,  of  Japan 3° 


Pisgah 209 

Pitcher,  Rev.  R.  W .  . , 38 

Plagues  in  Egypt 157 

Pompeii 223 

Pompey's  Pillar 166 

Port  Said 169,  22 1 

Posey,  Miss,  of  China 63 

Presbyterians  in  China 63 

Ptolemy  Lagi 165 

Puteoli 222 

Pyramids  of  Egypt 157 

Quarantania,  Mountain  of  Temptation.  212 

Quarries  under  Jerusalem 199 

Rachel's  Tomb 202 

Rae,  Rev.  J.  B 104 

Raffles,  Sir  Stamford 82 

Ramah  of  Samuel 191 

Ram  Alleh 213 

Rameses  II 161 

Ramleh,  in  Egypt 166 

Ramleh,  in  Palestine 183 

Reception  at  Balasore 109 

Red  Sea 146 

Rephaim,  Valley  of 191 

Reserved  Cabinet 223 

Resolutions 12 

Robber's  Fountain 215 

Robinson,  Miss,  of  Jerusalem 201 

Roda,  Island  of 156 

Rollins,  Rev.  J.  M 39 

Roman  Catholics  in  China 77 

Rose  of  Sharon 184,  210 

Rosetta,  a  Nile  mouth 164 

Ruth 203 

Sachidananda  Rai 118,  123 

Saint  Peter's  Church 224 

Saint  John  Lateran 225 

Saint  Stephen's  Gate 191 

Samaria 217 

Sandford,  Rev.  F.  W 12 

San  Francisco 22 

Santipore "7 

Sayonara 33>  44 

Scala  Santa 199.  225 


248 


INDEX. 


Scone  Stone  . . . . , 203 

Scopus 191 

Sea  Service  24-26 

Seti  1 161 

Shafat.  ...    191 

Sha  Jahan  and  Aajamand  .  .  . 132 

Shakespeare's  birthplace 231 

Shanghai 51 

Shem,  of  India 1 16 

Shiba  Temples 36 

Silsby,  Rev.  J.  A 63,  66 

Simmons,  Rev.  E.  Z 68 

Simon  the  tanner,  House  of 182 

Sinclair  Orphanage 108 

Singapore 80 

Siva,  heathen  god 93 

Skolfield,  Capt.  Geo 95 

Smith,  Rev.  B.  B 128 

Smithey.  Miss,  of  China. 73 

Smith,   Mrs.  D.  F 107,  112 

Sodom  and  Gomorrah 211 

Soloman's  Pools 205 

Somalis,  of  eastern  Africa 146 

Soro,  in  India 106 

Southern  Baptists. 72 

Southern  Cross 88,  107 

Spence,  Capt.  J 86 

Sphinx 157 

Spurgeon,  Rev.  C.  H 229 

Stevenson,  Rev.  J.  W 64 

Stiles,  Rev.  E.  B.  and  Mrs 120 

Straits  of  Malacca 80 

Suez  and  Canal 147 

Sutton,  Rev.  Amos 98 

Taj  Mahal  of  Agra 131 

Tartars 75 

Taylor,  Rev.  J.  Hudson. 64,  140 

"Tchihatchoff,"  Russian  ship 168 

Tel  Basta,  Ruins  of 152 

Temple  of  Hell 70 

Terreplein 148 

Thoburn,  Bishop 92,  94.  140 

Thompson,  Rev.,  of  Japan 39 

Thothmes  I  and  II. ..  .    161 


Tiber 226 

Titus,  Arch  of 226 

Tokyo 36 

Tomb  of  Absalom 197 

Tomb  of  John  Baptist 217 

Tower  of  London 230 

Towers  of  Silence,  Bombay 132 

Trees  and  grasses  of  India 135 

Triumph,  Arch  of,  Paris 227 

Tsukiji 38 

Ueno  Park 38 

United  Presbyterians  of  America 162 

Utah  Desert 20 

Valley  of  Jehoshaphat 207 

Vatican  Gallery 224 

Vatican  Manuscript 224 

Via  Appia 226 

Via  Dolorosa 195 

Wailing  Place  of  Jews 197 

Wallis,  Mr.,  of  Yokohama 31 

Wang- Poo  River 51 

Warwick  Castle 232 

Waterman,   Dr 221 

Well  of  Magi 202 

Well  of  the  Spirits 169 

Westminster  Abbey 203,  230 

Whilden,  Miss,  of  Canton 69 

Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union  62 

Woman's  Union  Missionary. Society. ...  63 

Woo-Sung 51 

Wreck  of  the  "  Tchihatchoff  " 170 

Xavier,  Francis 42 

Yang-tse-Kiang 51 

Yen,  Rev.  J.  K 65 

Young  Men's  Christian  Association  ....  62 

Zagazig 152 

Zechariah,  Tomb  of 197 

Zenana 124 

Zion's  Gate 194 

Zoar 209 

Zulus,  The . , 49 


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